Vendetta
by Dis-Appearing Writer
Summary: Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look so tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark. Madge Undersee didn't die in the bombing and now she's back with new demons and a score to settle .
1. Chapter 1: Reintroduction

Vendetta

* * *

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

* * *

Chapter One: Reintroduction

Katniss sighed, slipping the pack off her back and throwing it on the couch, flopping down on her chair. She rolled her shoulders, trying to loosen the tension in them from crouching in that tree for so long. All she wanted right now was a hot bath and a good meal but she was too sore to even get off the couch. Katniss looked at the place that she and Peeta had called home for the last two years; they had decided to move out of Katniss' old house and out of the Victor District, both of them agreeing that they held too many bad memories. It was a small, wooden house that was on the outskirts of District 12—recently renamed Skarslet—with two bedrooms, one bath, a fully equipped kitchen (for Peeta of course since Katniss couldn't cook more than stew) with a sizable back yard.

Katniss felt herself nodding off and shifted so she was more comfortable when someone knocked on the door. The Mocking Jay jerked awake, reaching for her bow—an old instinct from the war she couldn't quite shake—before relaxing but she didn't let go of the bow.

She slowly got off the couch, her aching muscles instantly protesting. She made her way to the door, finding it odd that the person hadn't tried to knock again. Probably had lot of patience or it was one of Peeta's fans that didn't get that the blond was taken.

The 22 year old swung the door open, "What do you…want…"

Katniss trailed off at the sight of who was at the door, she heard her bow clatter as it dropped to the floor but she was too stunned to care.

"M-Madge?" Katniss stuttered in shock.

"Hey Katniss," she looked the exact same as the last time Katniss had seen her but she was…different somehow. She still had golden hair with sun-bleached white strands of blonde mixed in, her hair plaited in a heavy French braid, no ribbon though. The same multi-colored eyes, one sapphire blue, the other a dark forest green, but they were harder like jewels. She had the same straight nose, high cheekbones, long tangled lashes, and full lips that were a pale shade of pink but she had lost her baby fat and her face wasn't as friendly any more. She was still on the skinny side (even if she was the mayor's daughter she was still from District 12) but it might've seemed that way because she was so _tall_. Speaking of which, she was tall, taller than Katniss and she wasn't quite as tiny as the other girls in District 12 either—mainly because she got a somewhat steady diet of protein. She was, by her estimate,an entire head taller than Katniss was.

"You-you're alive?" Katniss managed to choke out.

Madge's lips twisted into something that wasn't quite a smile, "Yeah, I guess so."

Before she knew what she was doing, Katniss moved forward and engulfed the older woman in a hug, "I've missed you."

Katniss felt the woman tense and awkwardly pat her on the back before stepping out of the hug and smiled weakly, "I've missed you too."

That's when Katniss noticed how different Madge really looked. She had dark circles under her eyes, her multi-colored gaze was always scanning and taking in her surroundings, her tan skin was littered with scars of all sizes and shapes, her long, nimble fingers were calloused and always twitching or doing something, whether it was tucking her hair behind her ears, smoothing out her clothes, or reaching for something that wasn't at her side.

This wasn't the mayor's daughter anymore.

This was a total stranger.

A stranger with her friend's face but with eyes of a fighter.

"Madge," Katniss breathed. "What happened to you?"

Madge blinked at her, at least one thing hadn't changed. Her big eyes that always seemed wide and innocent even with that hardness in them now, "What do you mean Katniss?"

Katniss cleared her throat, shaking her head, "Nothing. You want to come in?"

Madge shook her head, "I'd love too but I can't be gone for too long or they'll start getting nervous."

"They, who Madge?" Katniss was finding it hard to believe the Mayor's daughter—the one who's only friend was even more anti social than she was—had friends. No matter how harsh that thought seemed to be.

_Then again_, Katniss thought scanning Madge again. _I'm not the only one who's changed._

Madge gave her that smile again, the one that looked like a smile but didn't feel like one, "Don't worry about it. I just came to tell you I was in town for a couple days and I was hoping you could help me find some information."

"Of course, I'll do whatever I can to help you." She answered automatically without even thinking, she didn't have too.

Madge smiled, a real one, one that made her eyes light up and her face soften. Katniss couldn't stop the sudden flush of warmth that flooded her because she had the feeling that it wasn't often that Madge smiled like that.

"I need information on a guy named Hetov Kees."

Katniss immediately froze, "Y-you're crazy. Why would you want to know about him?"

Everyone knew who he was; he ruled the black market and the underworld of the Capital and the Districts back when it was still in charge. The guy made a good profit before the war, selling the districts stuff they couldn't get at home and selling rebel information to the capital for a pretty penny all without anyone ever making move to end him—he was too valuable to both sides. Hetov also flourished during the war, making good money selling weapons, ammo, and supplies to the Rebels and information to the Capital.

To Katniss, he was nothing but scum. But he was also extremely dangerous.

"You shouldn't go after him Madge. It's not a good idea." Katniss warned her friend.

The blonde's face darkened, "I don't care Katniss. Just tell me what you know."

Katniss gave a disbelieving sigh and shook her head again, "Absolutely not. I am not about to let you go rushing off to your death."

Madge's face smoothed out and became unreadable again. Katniss had seen her like this before, when they were younger and the blonde was showing government officials around town.

"That's fine. Thank you for your concern." Generic response, a pre-programmed answer said in a voice that was smooth and low, and designed to cover all her thoughts. The war hero gritted her teeth, she'd always hated seeing that mask on Madge, even when it wasn't directed at her.

"Don't do this Madge, not to me." Madge turned to leave but Katniss' hand shot out and gripped her arm. "Don't hide, please, not from me."

Her cool eyes trailed from where Katniss was gripping her arm to the young woman's charcoal gray eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Madge gently shook her hand off and walked away, Katniss wanted to shout and run after her but she knew that if she said anything Madge would just respond with lies in that stupid voice. Silky, smooth, and too damn emotionless, and loaded with secret messages no one could ever decode. She used it on the Capital's officials lying in a sweet voice and saying only what they wanted to hear, she just never thought Madge would use it on her.

Katniss let out a heavy sigh and leaned against the door frame, she really wasn't the only that changed.

* * *

**Just testing this out to see if it's any good, please review if you want me to continue. I have some ideas but I just want to make sure this isn't a waste of yours and my time.**


	2. Chapter 2: New Information

Vendetta

* * *

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

* * *

Chapter Two: New Information

Winsim was running he could hear his pursuer's slow and steady footsteps trailing behind him. He ran faster.

If Justin could see him now he'd be laughing his ass off.

The man looked back to see that there was no one there, a relieved smile appeared on his face but was wiped off the moment he turned around to see the woman in front of him. Winsim quickly turned around and ran into an alley.

"Damn it," he cursed when he saw that it was a dead end. He whirled around and took out his gun, "What do you want with me you bitch?"

"Language Mr. Jaken," the woman stepped into the light and a rush of satisfaction goes through him.

The person who'd been chasing him was nothing more than a _little girl_ and weak looking one at that.

"You really think you can beat me?" Winsim smirks, the scar stretching across his face making look more demented. "Tell you what girly. If you strip for me right now maybe I'll let you go free."

The girl just laughs and puts a hand on her hip, "That's cute; you think you can beat me."

"I don't think, sweetheart, I _know_," his surgically enhanced red eyes scanned her body, tongue licking his lips. Long legs clad in dark cotton pants that hugged her legs, fingerless black gloves on both hands, open blue zip up hoodie, with a dark green blouse. She was _hot_.

"Well, I agree with you on one thing. You definitely don't think because if you did, you would know it's a _very_ bad idea to challenge me." The young woman got into a ready stance.

"I don't know if you noticed sweetheart but I'm a guy."

"So?"

"So, that means I'm better than you at _everything_ and definitely at fighting."

Winsim saw a sneer stretch across the pretty blonde's face and she charged forward with a speed that surprised him. She swung at him and he blocked it without any problems. He swung and aimed for her temple, she blocked the punch and grabbed his arm pulling him towards her and kneeing him right in the solar plexus. Winsim staggered back, coughing, the blonde took the opportunity to kick him, knocking him to the ground. She pulled him up by his collar and growled, "What do you know about Heetov Kees?"

He laughed, a sound that sounded more like hacking, "Why do you want to know about him? I'm sure I can provide you with more fun."

The woman growled and slammed him against the wall, for someone so skinny she sure was strong. "I'm not playing around, you can either tell me what you know or I can force you to tell me."

"Baby," he grinned leeringly at her. "You can force me all you want."

She smirked at him and punched him in the nose, twice, as hard as she could—which was pretty hard—and heard the satisfying crunch of his nose being broken.

She smiled at his glare, "Just doing what you told me _baby_."

Winsim just spat blood on the ground and gave her his fiercest glare, one that would've cowed any other person. Too bad for him she wasn't just any other person.

"Now are you going tell me or do I have to get more…forceful?" She asked, taking out a knife and trailing it down the sound of his face, the edge barely touching but just enough that it was all he could see.

Winsim swallowed audibly, he hated knives always have, always will—his abusive father that loved to play chef with him and his mom probably had something to do with it—but he refused to show any fear. After all, he was a Stinger now and Stingers didn't succumb to threats, especially threats that were uttered by a woman that probably didn't even know how to use a knife. She grinned viciously when she saw his face go pale underneath his unnatural tan.

"That's right," she cooed, pressing the blade even harder against his skin, "You don't like knives do you? Could it possibly have something to do with the fact that your father used your face as a cutting board when you were ten?"

If possible Winsim went even paler, how could she possibly know that? No one knew that, not even the Stinger's leader.

"You know, I heard that he's living in a nice, cozy jail cell in Detention Block 35B after you turned him. I wonder what he would do if his dear, darling son was to just _happen _to be his newest bunkmate." The woman whispered in his ear. For the first time in a long time, Winsim felt ice cold fear and dread grip his heart. She wouldn't, she couldn't, she didn't the power. Right?

"But I do," her poisonous words wormed its way into his brain, his mind flashing back to when he was kid and all he knew was hunger, fear, the strike of fists on skin, the cold tang of blades, and the warm river of blood dripping down his skin. "I do have the power and you're stupider than you look if you think I won't use it."

Winsim took a shuddering breath and nodded, "Fine. I'll tell you whatever you want."

"Good boy," the blonde purred, a satisfied smile curling the corners of her lips. "Now, what is Heetov doing in Skarslet?"

Winsim threw her a wary glance after she let him go but answered anyway, "You ever heard of the Mocking Jay?"

…She rolled his eyes at that but didn't interrupt…

"Of course you have, anyway according to the rumors he's planning to pay her a visit. A lot of people pay a lot of money just to have even half of an hour alone with her."

The blonde's face darkened even more and if you looked close enough you could tell she was trembling.

Winsim felt something prick his neck and a moment later he realized she had jabbed a needle into his neck. He felt his eyelids droop and his body sag to the floor and a moment later he was out like a light.

Madge sighed and pressed the comm. in her ear, "Hey Theo, yeah I got the info. I'll explain when I get back."

Madge looked down and kicked the guy—Winsim Thesky—a bit with her boot to see if the drug worked. He didn't move so it must have worked. It was a watered down version of what the Capital used when they wanted to torture prisoners and have them appear crazy when it was all over. The drug made sure that the prisoner couldn't remember what exactly happened but it also made sure that the prisoners were scarred for life—mentally and physically—while Theo's version didn't exactly erase their memories as it did repress it and give them a major headache in the morning. So basically the symptoms of a hangover.

Of course Winsim will probably have an irrational fear of blondes for a couple of months but whatever.

Madge flipped her hood over her head, casting her face in shadows, and stuffed her hands into her pockets, walking towards her temporary residence.

Most people knew Heetov Kees as nothing more than a black market dealer that worked both sides of every war but what they didn't know was that his primary business—that was even worse and shadier—was human trafficking and prostitution.

Madge clenched her jaw, _You're not getting away from us this time you piece of shit._

* * *

"So how was the mission?" Theo asked as soon as Madge flopped down on the motel issued brown couch, taking off her gloves and throwing them on the coffee table.

Madge leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees and explained everything from the beginning. Theo was mostly quiet nodding from time to time but didn't say anything. Theo—no last name since he never knew who his parents were—had curly brown hair piled atop his head with dark brown eyes and darkly tanned skin and despite his rather shy demeanor the guy was _huge_. Theo was the electrical guy of the team; he knew how to pull apart and put back together almost anything, his hacking skills were also some of the best Madge had ever seen. The guy was a certifiable genius but because of that he always had ideas swirling around in that oversized brain of his and couldn't sleep because of it, making him drink coffee which made him even twitchier than Madge was.

"He's after the Mocking Jay?" Glitter asked in shock, halfway through the explanation the younger woman had entered the room and was now sitting in Theo's lap wearing nothing but one of Theo's button up shirts and underwear. "He does know that the Mocking Jay survived two Hunger Games and killed President Coin right?"

"Yeah, she's the kind of woman of that Heetov hates the most. Confident, strong, secure, and doesn't take shit from anyone. It doesn't exactly help that Katniss is a very beautiful woman. Now will you _please _wear some pants?" Madge scooped up a pair of shorts on the ground and threw it at the half naked woman.

Glitter giggled and put it on, "Geez, Mad you act like this is the first time you've seen this."

Glitter had smooth dark skin—even darker than Theo's—big, brown, doe eyes, a waterfall of curly black hair and a nimble body. She knew the inner workings of almost every type of organization, only problem was that she was a bit emotionally…unstable.

Madge scowled, "Moving on. Theo, log on to the chat rooms and see if there's any whispers about when the thing is going down."

Madge got up and headed for the kitchen for something to eat.

"What are you going to do?" Glitter asked, trailing behind the taller woman.

"I'm going to go and see Katniss, warn her."

"What if she doesn't listen?"

"Then I'll tell Peeta, he'll listen."

"Whoa hold on," Glitter grabbed Madge's arm and turned her around. "How the hell do you even know the Mocking Jay's boyfriend? Let alone the _Mocking Jay_?"

Madge sighed and turned back around, "It's—"

"Complicated," Glitter finished, "We know but we're a _team _Madge,you gotta tell us _something_."

Madge gripped the edge of the counter top, she swallowed. "You already know everything there is to know about me."

"Which is nothing Madge!" Glitter yelled, throwing her hands in the air, attracting the attention of Theo who was in the kitchen now too. "The only thing we know about you is that your name is Madge! We don't know where you're from, who your parents are, hell we don't even know your _last name_!"

"What are you hiding from us Madge?" Theo asked quietly. "We know about your scars, about your time at the Capital. So why can't you trust us?"

Madge instinctively gripped her hands and had to stop herself from looking at the scars, that she had memorized, that ran all across the palm of her hand and the back of it before disappearing into her sleeves. She took a deep breath, "Fine. You want to know so much about me? I'll tell you. My full name is Madge Maysilee Undersee. I was the daughter of the mayor of the former District 12 who died in the District 12 bombing. My mother had a chronic illness that gave her painful headaches and the slightest noise could set her off. She died in the bombing too. My aunt—my mother's sister—was named Maysilee and she died in the second Quarter Quill and I look more like my aunt than I do my own mother. I grew up shunned and hated by my peers because I didn't go to bed every night with a growling stomach and because they thought that I sympathized with the Capital but the truth is that I probably hated the Capital more than any of them knew. My only friend was Katniss Everdeen, the Mocking Jay. On the day of the bombing I was knocked out, and when I woke up I went to hide in the woods, the Capital found me, and you guys know the rest. And as far as anyone in Skarslet knows, I'm dead."

Madge took a moment to get her emotions under control before stalking back into the living room and snatched her gloves off the table, heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Asked Glitter watching Madge put on her gloves.

"To go and warn Katniss." She answered shortly, still wrestling with her emotions. It'd been years since she actually told someone who she was. Even when she was held prisoner at the Capital she never talked.

"We'll go with you," Glitter said hurriedly.

"No," Madge said, louder than she meant to. She cleared her throat, "No. Don't worry about it. I won't be gone long, I promise."

Madge didn't have to turn around to know that Glitter was biting her bottom lip with her teeth and that Theo was probably looking at her with furrowed brows, anxiety in every line of his body. Madge opened the door and hesitated; she looked at them and gave them a smile. They instantly relaxed, "I'll be back in a couple of hours. Don't wait up."

Madge shut the door behind her and walked to Katniss' new house at a brisk pace. She really hoped this would be over soon because as much she loved Skarslet, it was still District 12 and she already had enough bad memories as it is.

* * *

**DONE! And for the guest viewer, sorry to confuse you but Madge isn't a secret agent but that doesn't mean she won't get in trouble with the law though *wink***


	3. Chapter 3: Warnings

Vendetta

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

* * *

Chapter 3: Warning

"I am not having this conversation with you Gale!" Katniss yelled.

"And why not? I don't care if she's come back from the dead but _I'm _your best friend and I'm only trying to protect you," Gale pleaded. Katniss was the only one he would ever plead for or to.

Katniss scoffed and crossed her arms, "_Protect me?!_ From _who? Madge?!"_

"Yes!" Gale exclaimed, running a hand through his thick black hair, "You have no idea what's she capable of. After all, how else could she have survived the bombing?"

Gale knew he went too far when he saw Katniss' pretty eyes flash dangerously.

"Are you insinuating that Madge _sold us out_?" She hissed between clenched teeth. "Madge is _a lot _of things but she would _never _sell her soul to the Capital."

"She's right," the little blonde git interrupted them as he sidled next to Katniss and wrapped his arm around her waist. Gale felt jealousy sink its claws into him when he saw Katniss—the woman he was still in love with—lean into him. "If there's one thing I know about Madge, she's good at keeping secrets and she's even better at being stubborn and bullheaded. Not to mention she hates the Capital more than most people."

Gale scowled at him, "And why would she hate the Capital? She had everything she ever needed and it was all thanks to the Capital."

Peeta just shook his head slowly—condescendingly in Gale's opinion, seriously how could Katniss be love with this guy?—and there was a sad smile on his face, "You don't know Madge, Gale. No one ever did. Not really anyway."

"I don't care _Peeta_," Gale spat out his name, "It's too dangerous and I'm not about to lose her, I'm forbidding Katniss from ever seeing Madge again."

"Oh, you _forbid_ me?!" Katniss said sarcastically, her eyes icy and electric as it snapped back to him. "You can't forbid me to do anything Gale."

A shiver went down his spine at her look, one that made him feel desperate and stupid and almost mad.

"Yes, I can," he hissed, getting close enough to her that he could smell the subtle scent of her shampoo. It was intoxicating, _she _was intoxicating.

"No, you can't," she growled, moving even closer to him. His mind instantly went to overdrive, he could feel her body heat through the layers of clothing, the sweet scent that was all her, and he could almost imagine how her soft and scarred skin would slide under his rough hands, how her full and chapped lips would move against his, her long and tone legs wrapped tight around his hips…_god _this woman was going to be the death of him.

His voice caught in his throat and his mind was going to places he shouldn't go, he couldn't move, all he could do was stare at her.

"You're drooling Gale," all three heads whipped around to see a blonde woman in old combat boots leaning against the kitchen entrance, her slender arms crossed across her chest and a smirk on her face while her multi-colored eyes twinkled in amusement.

A grin instantly bloomed across Katniss' face, "Madge! You came back!"

Katniss instantly hugged the blonde.

"Whoa," Madge laughed, "Since when were you a hugger?"

Katniss smiled at her, "Apparently you're in a better mood too."

"Yeah, well, watching the great Gale Hawthorne act like a lovesick 15 year old girl and practically drowning in his hormones will do that to you," Madge had a devious smirk on her face. Gale was in too much shock to snap at her.

"Madge? Oh my God, it really is you!" Peeta grinned, giving the woman a big bear hug after he had gotten over his initial shock. He let her go and held her at arm's length, inspecting her, "I can't believe it. You're alive!"

Madge smiled but it didn't reach her eyes, "So everyone keeps saying."

"What are you doing here Undersee?" Gale crossed his arms over his chest, glaring at her with stormy gray eyes.

The smile slipped from Madge's face and her face become stony again, "Katniss you're in danger."

Immediately everybody in the room tensed, Gale pushed past Peeta and growled lowly, "What the fuck are you talking about? Why is Katniss in danger?"

Madge ignored him and looked over his shoulder to look at Katniss, "Heetov Kees is coming after you."

The tension in the room was so thick it was surprising no one had choked.

"Why would Heetov Kees be coming after me?" Katniss asked, her eyes narrow and calculating and her mouth set in a grim line. There was no fear, only confusion and slow methodical calculation.

Madge sighed, biting the side of her lip in thought, debating how much she should tell them. "Do you guys know what he deals in?"

Peeta's brows furrowed in confusion, "The Black Market right?"

Madge nodded slowly, "Maybe we should go and sit down before I start explaining…all of this."

Katniss and Peeta looked at each other before grabbing a chair and sitting down, Madge just hopped on the kitchen counter.

"No thanks, I'm good standing," Gale said gruffly, his arms still crossed over his chest.

Madge ignored him again, "Heetov does—for lack of better word—own the Black Market but his primary business is much, _much _worse than selling outdated info to the Capital. He deals in human trafficking and runs a huge country wide prostitution ring. Almost every…play girl out there works for him."

"Okay, so let's say you're right…what does he want with me?" Katniss asked in disbelief, sure she was something of a celebrity but she was more of a novelty character than anything else

Madge scoffed and raised an eye brow, "You're kidding right?"

Madge leaned forward, her forearms resting on her knees, an intense look in her eyes that surprised all of them, "You're the kind of person that he hates the most. Strong. Confident. Doesn't take shit from anyone and, most importantly," Madge leaned back and pinned Katniss with a stare that made her unable to move. "A _woman_. The type of women that he loves are the ones that are…broken, beaten down, weak—at his mercy. Makes it easier to force them to sell their body for him."

Gale noticed how her voice tightened and the muscles in her neck constricted slightly, little things like this had been easier for him to spot ever since he was made General. It was little things like this that made the difference between life and death. There was a reason she was going against this guy, why she hated him so much.

"That still doesn't explain what he wants with Katniss." Gale noticed that Peeta's voice sounded strangled and that he was holding—more like crushing—Katniss' hand. He was scared but there was something about the tremor in his voice and the slightest hysterical hint in his cobalt eyes that suggested he was battle ready and angry—at least he wasn't completely useless.

Madge chuckled, "Three words, beautiful Mocking Jay."

Katniss felt her face warm, but she knew for a fact that she wasn't blushing, even after all this time she had never gotten used to being called beautiful. She didn't really believe it.

Madge cocked her head to the side and stared at the Mocking Jay with a curious expression, "Don't tell me you honestly don't know how beautiful you are."

Katniss laughed a little bit and jumped in surprise when Madge was suddenly leaning over, a strange light in her eyes.

"Long, thick, silky black hair that's darker than midnight," Madge's hand reached out and combed her fingers through Katniss' loose, slightly wavy hair, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Charcoal grey eyes that shine like stars in the light," Katniss stared into Madge's eyes, trying to figure out what emotion was in her eyes and voice.

"Long lashes that frame those starry eyes," Madge's hand moved from her hair to the side of her face, her thumb lightly brushing Katniss' lashes.

"Cheekbones so perfect it's like they were carved out of marble," Madge's thumb gently glided over her cheeks, just under her eyes.

"Olive skin that _glow _with beauty," Madge lifted her hand and traced Katniss' face with the back of her fingertips.

"Ruby red lips that are as red and as deep as a sunset," Madge leaned in closer until they were almost nose to nose.

"And a smile that's more dazzling and beautiful than the most precious gems," Madge finally straightened out and Katniss finally recognized the emotion in her voice and eyes. It was something she saw everyday when she and Gale walked into the cafeteria together, an emotion that was reflected in every girl's eyes. Envy. Jealousy.

"How can you not have any idea how beautiful you are? How you affect the people around you? How you affect the guys around you?" Madge whispered, taking Katniss' hands in hers and pulling her gently to her feet. Madge's face was close to hers, so close Katniss could hear her every breath, every inhale and exhale. Madge leaned in closer 'till her lips were next to her ears, "Run."

And then it all went to hell.

* * *

**DONE! I'd always imagined Madge as the sort of girl who knew exactly what she was saying, what it meant, and could sometimes be just a little bit too intense. I hope that was clearly stated in this :) **


	4. Chapter 4: Old Enemies

Vendetta

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

* * *

Chapter Four: Old Enemies

Madge managed to pull down both Katniss and Peeta just as the bullets started flying. Gale had already flipped the kitchen table over on its side to give them adequate cover.

"What the hell is going on Undersee and talk fast," Gale commanded.

Madge scowled at him, she hated people ordering her around, "We're getting shot is what's going on or don't you have eyes?"

"I got to get my bow," Katniss said, starting to get up when Madge pulled her forcefully down again.

"Don't even think about it," Madge said with such force, Katniss was surprised into obeying. "You get up and they'll be shooting you full of holes in a matter of seconds."

"Well you got any better ideas?" Katniss snapped quietly.

Madge smirked, "Actually I do." Madge reached into one of her many pant pockets—glad she had chosen to change into cargo pants—and pulled out something blocky and black. A gun.

"And just what are you going to do with that?" Gale glared at her, highly doubting the pampered princess of District 12 knew how to hold a gun properly, let alone use it.

"I'm going to save our asses." Madge peeked over the top of the table and squeezed the trigger, two bullets flew from the chamber and they heard the sound of two bodies hitting the ground. Madge ducked back down and pressed the comm. in her ear, "Theo you there?"

The blonde heard a crackle than Theo's deep voice, _"Yeah I'm here, what's going on? I hear bullets."_

"That's because we're being pinned down by Heetov's men," Madge squeezed out two more bullets and heard a curse and a thud. One of her bullets hit the mark, the other…not so much.

"Damn it," Madge cursed when she checked the chamber, only two bullets left. She knew she should've put in a new clip before she left. "Theo, whatever you you're doing, you better do it quick."

"_We're on route; we'll be there in a couple of minutes." _

"I don't know if we _have _a couple of minutes." Madge scowled. The blonde turned towards Gale, "How many guys left?"

"About four," Gale flinched as a bullet almost clipped his ear.

Madge clicked her teeth together in frustration and exhaled sharply through her nose, "Alright, here's the plan. I'm going to draw their fire; you three run out through front door and meet me in the Square."

Katniss looked at her in disbelief, "You're kidding right?"

Madge smiled grimly, "Not even a little bit Kat."

"No deal," Peeta said quietly.

"I'm not giving you guys an option, this is an _order_." Madge gritted her teeth, looking each of them in the eye so they knew just how serious she was. "Now, when I tell you to go you guys _run _likes bats out of hell, got it?"

All three nodded their heads reluctantly.

"Alright," Madge took a deep breath, "Now!"

Madge leapt up and starting running for the back door not looking back to see if the others had followed her instructions. She dived for the living room wall just as they opened fire on her again.

"Shit! Theo where are you?! I'm out-manned and out-gunned." Madge hissed, trying to draw herself into a tighter ball.

"_We're on our way, just hang in there Mad."_

Madge growled about to respond when the guns stopped firing.

"I know you're there little Maggie, why don't you come out?" A slimy voice that Madge knew all too well, called out.

Madge slowly stood up and walked into the kitchen, "Kirko."

The man had slicked back black hair, white teeth that were so white it was beige, and skin that was tinted blue. "Little Maggie, how are you?"

The blonde's face twisted into a snarl, "Don't call me that."

His smile was oily and his voice nasal, "That's right. Only sweet little Justin could call you that right?"

Madge bared her teeth, rage starting to set in. "Don't say his name."

"Aww," Kirko cooed. "Justin still a sore spot for you?"

"Shut up!" Madge yelled, her eyes flashing. "Shut up, right now or I'm gonna put a bullet through your head."

Her slim fingers curled around the gun, the metal cool against her gloved palm.

The guy smiled viciously, "Better people than you have tried and they failed what makes you think you're going to succeed? Let alone get out of here alive?"

"Because she's got me for one thing," a cool voice cut across the room, coming from behind the men in dark gray.

It was downright funny how the military men started tripping over their feet at the sight of the short, dark skinned young woman. Or it would've been if her eye weren't chips of ice.

"M-m-madam," Kirko stuttered, losing his oily smile. "How-how have you been?"

"Shut up you impotent fool," Glitter said harshly, her big doe eyes cold and hard. Madge grinned, all teeth, all malice, no niceties. It had been a while since she'd seen this side of little Glitter.

"Madam, I mean you no offence but are you defending this…trash?"

Madge's grin vanished and a snarl replaced it, "Because it's better than being Heetov's bitch."

Kirko's face turned a horrible mottled purple color—bright red on a regular person—and his beige teeth glinted dimly in the low kitchen light. "Shut up. Let's see how you react when you're begging me to kill you."

Madge smirked languidly, one hand resting loosely on her hip, "Sure, I will."

"Kirko tell your men to put down their weapons," Glitter's voice was still cold and her face set in stone.

The men looked at each other, than at their leader, hesitation clear on their face. Kirko nodded at them, "Do as she says."

They lowered their guns slowly.

"You too Mad," her eyes swiveled to meet mismatched eyes. Madge just sighed and tucked the gun in the back of her cargo pants, pulling her hoodie over the handle of the gun sticking out.

Madge slowly walked to Kirko, her combat boots clacking on the tile of the kitchen, a swaggering sway in her hips. She stopped in front of him, grabbing the gun from his hand and pointed it at his crotch. A dangerous smile stretched across her face, "Listen close Kirko 'cause I'm only going to repeat this once. You will always be nothing more than Heetov's bitch and Glitter's little manservant. You are nothing and you will always be nothing."

Kirko sneered at her, contempt in his dark eyes, "I may be nothing but you're the one who has nothing, who has no one. Isn't that right little Maggie?"

Madge smiles at him, and then cold cocks him across the face with the gun. He stumbles back, blood leaking from one corner of his mouth. She takes a step forward and he takes a step back, Madge smiles again. "Give your boss a message for me, tell Heetov I'm coming for him and when I find him…let's just say it won't be pretty. Now get out."

The boys hesitated again and Madge rolled her eyes, cocking the gun and fired two shots at the ceiling. They scrambled back and tripped over themselves getting to the exits.

Kirko was the last out the door but he stopped at the threshold, "I bet Justin's smiling up at you from Hell, bitch."

Then he was gone.

Madge let out a breath she didn't know she was holding and crossed the distance over to Glitter in three long, easy strides. The blonde caught the dark-skinned woman just as she crumpled to the ground.

"Whoa girl, steady there," Madge whispered, wrapping her arms around the petite woman's shoulders. Putting the gun on the counter next to them but not before putting on the safety.

The shy girl was back as Glitter smiled softly, her eyes sleepy and tired. "How'd I do?"

"Just fine," Madge whispered into her ear, tucking Glitter's head into her shoulder so she didn't see Madge's thunderous, pained expression.

Wet stains appeared on her hoodie as Glitter cried, her body shuddering and wracking at the force of trying to keep her sobs silent.

"Shhh," Madge soothed, stroking Glitters hair. "It'll be alright. Everything will be alright."

Glitter nodded, her sobs thinning up to dry hiccups, her body still shaking from the confrontation.

"You're safe, I promise."

Now if only she could believe it too.


	5. Chapter 5: Painful Memories

Vendetta

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

* * *

Chapter Five: Painful Memories

The dream—flashbacks—start out like they always did. Little flashes than it got clearer until it's more of a memory than a flashback or a dream.

_A flash of white teeth and dancing brown eyes under a mane of messy dyed copper red hair._

_Glowing skin in the spotlight of the moon._

_A crazy grin with delirious eyes and blood on his lips, just a few shades darker than his slicked back hair._

_A thumping heart and heated skin with equally heated words with bright eyes, dangerous with anger._

_A relieved smile and eyes that were darkened with emotion she didn't understand—not yet—and surprisingly strong arms with a voice that seemed so _thankful _that she was still alive._

_Tears slipping down her face mixed with rain and distinguished only by the temperatures as she realized she fell for the one boy that could never love her back._

_A flash, a bang, the impact of someone's body falling on top of hers and the sound of running feet._

_A vacant smile and eyes that were already losing their shine, losing the life inside of them._

_Her sobs and hitched words that begged and pleaded for him to _pleasepleaseplease just keep breathing. _To not leave her alone. To not leave her to finish this by herself._

_And finally dull brown eyes—that used to be so full of life it made her heart _ache—_and a voice that was still light hearted—because he was always light hearted because that was all he knew how to be, even when he was dying—and his voice was teasing but his hands were so serious as they caressed her face as if _she _was the one breaking. And oh god, she was. She was _breakingbreakingbreaking_ into a million little pieces but what he said next _destroyed _her. _

"_Why are you crying? I like it better when you're smiling, it makes your eyes light and it makes me swoon because then you're the prettiest girl in the whole wide world. I always knew it but when you smile than everyone else knows it too," he spoke in that slight accent of his that she always secretly loved—but always claimed it made him sound stupid—his words slurred by both the accent and death slowly over taking him. But suddenly he's serious, so, so, so serious and it scares her. "I love you. You know that? I love you, I've always loved you and I will always love you. I love you Madge."_

_His smile slips a bit than and his eyes turn peaceful and dreamy, even as her heart breaks even more and Madge is yelling and her hands are pumping his chest, to stop the bleeding, and to get him to _breathe dammit! _But it's no use because the light still drains from his eyes like the blood drains from his wound. And when his chest stops fluttering and his eyelids fall the tiniest bit to hide those eyes she fell in love with and his muscles relax and his head falls back. Madge's yelling stops because of how tight her throat suddenly is and she's surprised she can still breathe and she isn't sure how she got any sound past her throat but she does because she isn't yelling anymore. She's screaming. _

:::

Madge's eyes snapped open just as lightening flashed by her window and thunder just a few seconds later. She could already feel the dreams slipping away like sand running through her fingers but it didn't matter because the memories were burned into her mind. Just like his smiles and laughter and the last words he'd ever said to her. Her eyes close for a moment and try to dig up the other memories, of that time they were at that ridiculously fancy ball and she discovered he could dance, that time he pissed her off so hard she knocked him out, the first kiss they shared, _anything_. But all that comes up are vacant eyes and words that were too late to be any use to her except drive the knife a little deeper, make the wound a little deeper, the pain just a little worse, and make her bleed and cry just a little bit more.

_Justin_. Her heart clenches painfully at his name even though it's already been over a year since his death. When she finds out who said "Time heals all wounds" Madge is going to put a bullet right between their eyes but not before putting them through something that makes what the capital did to her look _tame._

Madge slides out of bed and lands on her feet with almost no sound, no doubt Theo and Glitter were still sleeping. Madge looked at the clock beside her bed—since ink black clouds were still staining the sky—and saw that it would be dawn in half an hour.

_I slept in_, Madge thought, surprised but vaguely proud she got two more hours of sleep than usual. Most of the time her nightmares woke her up. She crept to the bathroom, the storm growling and the motel a comfortable temperature of warmth. No wonder she got more sleep than usual.

She flipped on the lights and cringed at the sudden brightness and how she looked in the mirror. She turned on the sink and splashed her face with cold water before shutting it off, staring at herself in the mirror. Not bothering to wipe her face. She wore long, dark, cotton pajama pants that hid her entire lower half so she didn't have to worry about the scars there glaring up at her but she was wearing one of Glitter's sleep shirts, since Madge "forgot" to do the laundry again. Which were really nothing more than glorified crop tops, and on her it looked more like a really loose sports bra. It showcased her arms, most of her stomach and almost all of her shoulders. It gave Madge a good look at the scars that marred her body: long, neat, cris-crossing scars that glowed white under florescent lighting and neon in the capital's special rooms. The only part of her body that escaped the government's mark was her ass, her breasts, her fingers, and her face and neck. Everywhere else on her skin was marked.

"_She's a pretty young thing, isn't she?" One of her jailers—Drunkard she called him—leered at her with hazy eyes and drunken breath. She imagined stabbing him with a rusty, dull knife._

_The other—she called this one Mrs. Woe-on-Me—barely spared her look, she imagined dragging her body over hot coal, "Don't bother. The girl's probably sold her body a hundreds of times back home, all you'd be getting is sloppy 500 something."_

_Hot coals and feeding her still conscious body to wild dogs._

_Madge gritted her teeth and didn't dare to life her head, if they knew she was still conscious they'd do much worse than they just did to her. They would hurt her until she was screaming at them to make the pain stop, to just kill her. And she wouldn't let them have that satisfaction again._

_So in the end when she escaped it was with her virginity intact—but it didn't stop them from leering, talking, or touching._

A sudden pain jolted her out of her head that was leading towards a dark path. She looked down at her hand to see that it was curled into a fist; she carefully unfurled her hand to see the half-crescent marks already fading from her scarred palms. She was dimly glad she had caught it before she punched the mirror or broke her skin. Madge took one last look at the mirror and decided to get out of there before she broke something; after all she had promised Glitter she'd stop breaking stuff.

Besides, it was time to get the two lazy asses off their asses. It was time to track down Heetov and make him pay for taking away the one person she loved more than anything else in the world and who loved her more than anything else.

* * *

Both Theo and Glitter yawned, they were hopeless before 11 unless they had their coffee. Madge rolled her eyes and—barely suppressing the impulse to throw their precious coffee down the drain to see how they would react—gently put the two, steaming coffees in front of them.

It was amazing to see the transformation as they took a deep sip of the—still piping hot—coffee. Sleep was cleared from their faces as wary alertness replaced it. They all knew that that today was the day.

"So what's on the schedule?" Theo asked his deep voice quiet as always but it rumbled like the thunder outside. His nimble fingers twisting pieces of napkins into tiny shreds.

Madge sighed, leaning back and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Well, if Kirko is here than that means Heetov is here too. He likes to live in luxury so let's start by checking out the newest hotels in Skarslet. Theo, you go online and see which hotel room is listed under Heetov's aliases. Glitter, you go and check out the rooms that Theo highlights, Heetov's men have a soft spot for you so they won't shoot first and ask questions never if it's you but that doesn't mean you should let your guard down. Either of you."

Madge got up and slipped on her beaten hoodie, "And I'm on security detail for the Mocking Jay."

"Be careful," Glitter spoke up for the first time since they had gotten to back to the motel last night. Her long, curly hair covering her face and her long fingers tangled up in them. Her lower lip trembling and her big, brown, doe eyes looked almost close to tears. So different from last night when she stood up to one of Heetov's most feared henchmen without blinking an eye. Put the girl in front of a dragon and she'd slay it without breaking a nail but put in a situation where there's a possibility that she might lose someone and she crumbled faster than a soggy cookie.

Madge's mismatched eyes flickered over to Glitter's and held them. A tiny smile spread across her face. Her voice was soft when she spoke, "You too."

Madge's eyes glanced over to see Theo was hunched over and his hands were in his pockets.

He looked up and said, "Are you sure that we can't just leave the Mocking Jay alone? She has enough support and I don't want you getting hurt because you feel like you have an obligation to her just because you used to know her."

Madge couldn't help but grin at that, "What's this? The big bad Boulder worrying about little old me? Don't worry, I'll be fine and beside if they decide to attack Katniss again this will be the easiest way of drawing out Heetov."

She shut the door behind her and locked it.

She started down the street, keeping her head down even though her face was already hidden by the hood. Now how was she going to convince Katniss to let her protect her? Well, no. It actually probably wouldn't even be that hard, Katniss would insist she didn't need protection but would let Madge hang around anyway as an attempt to protect Madge from Heetov.

Madge almost snorted at that, she didn't need to be protected. She needed to be protected five years ago from the capital's wrath but not anymore. She wouldn't let anyone get the best of her anymore.

So lost was Madge in her thoughts that she was almost caught off guard by the hand that grabbed her and knocked her against the wall of the alley. _Almost _being the operative word, by the time the hand was fully curled around her arm her fingers were already on the gun in her pocket but when she saw who it was, her fingers stilled and so did she.

"We need to talk," the voice growled at her, his fingers tightened bruisingly around her upper arm.

* * *

**DONE! Whew! Sorry it took so long but apparently inspiration only strikes when it's one in the morning and I can't sleep. By the way, grammar at one in the morning stinks even worse than usual. Speaking of which, I need a beta…anyone interested?**

**On another note, this will be a Madge/Gale stories but if you've read my other stories, than you know that I'm not one of those "They see each other they fall in love immediately" kind of writers. I like to build things up *evil grin* so prepare to hate me or love me. So…I'm going to torture both you and the characters!**


	6. Chapter 6: Twenty Questions

Vendetta

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

* * *

Chapter Six: Twenty Questions

"We need to talk," Gale growled, his stormy gray eyes narrowed and heated.

"You know you could've just walked up to me and asked like regular person," Madge commented offhandly, not seeming at all bothered that Gale had her caged in with the wall to her back and his arms on either side of her head.

When he smiled it was feral and not at all amused, "Now where would the fun in that be? I need you to answer some questions."

Madge ducked out from under his arm and stared at him from the mouth of the alley. She shrugged, "Ask me anything, I'll reply."

"How did you escape the bombing?" He asked tersely, his broad shoulders tense and his face hard.

"Next question," at his glare Madge smiled mischievously at him. "I said I'd reply, I never said I'd answer your questions."

"Undersee," he warned.

"Fine," Madge rolled her eyes and started walking down the street again. He followed her without a word. "I'll answer your questions on one condition."

"What?" He asked, seeming wary of her for the first time, it would be a bad idea to underestimate her. Even if she was just a pampered princess playing dress up.

"I'll answer your questions but you have to answer mine." He opened his mouth to argue but she continued talking, "If you answer my questions truthfully, I'll answer your questions truthfully. Do we have a deal?"

He nodded, "Fine but this deal expires when we reach...wherever it is you're going."

"I'm going to see Katniss and deal," she smiled at him and—not for the first time—he noticed that she was rather pretty when she kept her mouth shut. Katniss was still more beautiful though. "You go first."

"How did you escape the bombing?" He asked again.

"Wow, really no originality huh?" She said, knowing that she was riling him up—it was fun. "Okay. When the bombs hit the town, I was unconscious and when I woke up I found that I was underground. Didn't even know we had a cellar until that moment."

"Who put you there?"

"My father probably, he most likely used my mother's morphine to knock me out. I was probably out for, maybe, six hours?" She shrugged like it was no big deal and it made that familiar anger flame up inside of him.

"How nice," he muttered bitingly, his face dark.

She pursed her lips and a snort of derision came from her, "Not really. If he could he'd probably sacrificed me to save you guys, only reason why he saved me in the first place was because I was the closest one. My father always did have something of a hero complex."

Gale shifted, uncomfortable with the scorn in her voice. In fact everything about her made him uncomfortable, not like the way Katniss did but uncomfortable in the way that Peeta made him after they rescued him from the Capital. Not sure if you could trust them or not and not even sure if you even had a choice in the matter in the first place.

"My turn," the contempt in her voice was replaced with mild cheeriness. "How much of Skarslet is under Heetov's thumb?"

Gale considered this question carefully—which surprised Madge—knowing that this question could possibly save Katniss' life. "Honestly? Not very much, Skarslet is considerably smaller than the other Districts and more self efficient. So at most, probably only about 10-15 percent."

Madge nodded thoughtfully, filing away the information for studying later. "Where are the shadiest spots in Skarslet?"

Gale's brow furrowed, "Shouldn't you know? I know that you were spoiled but even you should know which places to avoid in District 12."

"That's exactly the problem, I knew _District 12 _but Skarslet isn't like District 12. It's bigger, more advanced, not to mention I haven't been here in over five years." Madge explained in such a simple way it made Gale feel stupid in comparison.

"In that case, I'd avoid the far east side that backs up to the Granite."

"Good to know," Madge smirked. The Granite was an old coal mine that had long since been abandoned and turned into a bunch of bars and "entertainment" area. It was a lot like the Hob only a lot less classy and a lot more illegal. "Your turn."

Gale's eyes searched for something to ask and landed on her gloves, "Why do you wear so much clothing?"

Gale didn't miss how Madge tensed and how her cordial smile turned that much more distant. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when we were younger you used to wear short sleeved sun dresses all the time now you wear things that cover up everything but your fingers and head."

Gale noticed how her arms and fingers twitched like she had to fight the urge to fidget—or run. Her jaw clenched just the tiniest bit, "To hide my scars."

He blinked at her sudden change. The playful aura that she had before all but disappeared and her words were so quiet he had to strain his ears to hear them. _What scars?_

Before he could ask, she beat him to the punch with a question that made him feel like he'd been punched in the gut. "Why are you still in love with Katniss?"

Now it was his turn to act clueless, "What do you mean?"

"You clearly don't have a chance with her and yet you still pine over her anyway. Why?"

Those words—said so casually—made his blood run cold. When she said it like that it made it sound like he was a fool for yearning for something he could never have. "Because…"

He trailed off, not sure how to respond, there were a million reasons but he couldn't voice them.

Madge tilted her head and stared at him with owlish eyes, "Would you like to know the reason she chose Peeta over you?"

He found himself looking away from her, unable to maintain eye contact. "How would you know?"

She continued like he hadn't spoken, "Because you know she could've loved you like she loves Peeta but there's a reason she chose him in the end."

Her eyes caught his again, "So. Would you like to know the reason why?"

"Answer my question," Gale stalled. "How do you know?"

"Because I watch and I see things no one else does." Madge gave him a placating smile, like she was trying to reassure him. Good luck with that.

Gale hesitated. Did he really want to know? On one hand—and this was only if she actually knew—it could help him know where he went wrong, how he could _improve_, how he could finally steal Katniss away from that blonde bastard. On the other though she could be lying but even if she wasn't…what if it wasn't something he could fix? What if it was something that he could never give her but Peeta could? _Don't be stupid, there isn't anything he can't give her that I can't._

Still, he hesitated.

"We're here," Madge broke the silence. Her blue-and-green eyes flickered up to his and he knew that time was up. As he was about to open the door, Madge placed her hand on his bicep, stopping him. "I could still tell you."

He looked at her, gray clashing with blue and green. He answered her unspoken question by shrugging off her hand and walking inside Katniss' house.

Madge sighed, maybe Theo was right. She was too easily swayed by her past; when she was around these people she too easily slipped back into the girl she used to be.

Lonely and trying too hard to please.

* * *

"Hey Gale, what are you doing here?" Katniss' brow furrowed, ignoring the way her heart sped up just the tiniest bit. The occurrences were happening less and less but it still made her uneasy. Katniss saw Madge enter a second later, "Hey Madge. What's going on?"

Madge settled herself on the couch and looked up at her. "I'm on protection detail."

"I don't need to be protected," the answer was given without a thought but Katniss quickly backtracked. This was her chance to get to know this new Madge, to protect her old friend like she couldn't do when the bombs fell. "But I'd like it if you would come with me to the Hob. You know, hang out."

Madge gave her a tired smile, "Sure."

Madge felt uncomfortable in this house but she didn't let anyone know. She had always been good at that, not letting anyone know anything more than what she wanted them to know. Most called it manipulation, she called preservation. Madge took a deep breath and made sure none of her scars were showing, made sure her gun was there and it was loaded. "Let's go.

* * *

**DONE! Wow, two chapters in one week…don't get used to it.**


	7. Chapter 7: Newest Team Member

Vendetta

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

* * *

Chapter Seven: Newest Team Member

"So…how long are you in town?" Katniss asked, looking at the wares of the Hob after she was done bartering her latest kill. It wasn't necessary for her to hunt anymore but she still did it, it gave her time to be alone and to just…think.

"Until we catch Heetov or he moves his operation again," Madge answered without looking at her, she was too busy looking around. Or rather scanning the Hob trying to see any hidden threats.

"So where did you learn to shoot a gun?" Katniss tried again.

It worked, a small smile flickered on Madge's lips, "Justin did."

"Who's Justin?" Katniss asked a bit too eagerly. There had been a light in Madge's eyes that Katniss hadn't seen since she had come back.

The smile disappeared and a shadow appeared behind her eyes, "No one."

"Madge," Katniss hesitated, "Why are you going after Heetov in the first place?"

The blonde's steps faltered but only for half of a second, "Because he took something of mine."

"All this just for a simple theft?" Katniss gave her a confused half-smile.

Madge stared down at Katniss, "I wish it was that simple."

* * *

"That was just awful!" Was the first thing Peeta heard when the 22 year olds entered the house.

Peeta got up from the couch, where he was sketching, to go and greet the two. "What was so awful?"

Peeta saw that Madge was irritated and wondered what could get to the usually distant woman.

"Everywhere I went people kept on going up to me and saying that I looked like Madge Undersee, and then I said that I was her, and…I never knew the people in this District were such _gossipers_," Madge almost-whined.

Peeta chuckled, "Well ever since life's improved here we don't really have much to do after work."

Madge raised one eye brow and set the greens from the Hob on the kitchen table, "Sounds boring."

"Not really," Peeta started putting away the groceries.

Madge leaned against the countertop watching as Peeta and Katniss put away the groceries and exchanged small talk. "So when are you guys going to get married?"

Both of them froze and turned to look at her like she had said something wrong. "What?"

As far as she as concerned it was a perfectly legitimate question, Peeta was obviously in love with Katniss and Katniss was definitely in love with him—even if she didn't show it—so what was stopping them? Two Hunger Games and a war had clearly made them inseparable. People had gotten married for less.

"What?" Katniss blinked several times like she was testing her hearing.

"You know, married? When are you two going to tie the knot?"

"I—we—I mean," Katniss sputtered, same old Katniss. Still couldn't see past what's going on today. Though Madge couldn't really fault her, why bother with the future if you didn't know if you would survive past tomorrow? That mentality had been ingrained into Katniss since she was kid. Madge had been like that once too.

Luckily Peeta stepped in, "We haven't really talked about it. And besides, marriage is a little old fashioned, don't you think? We don't really need to get married."

Katniss stared at Peeta with a confused look on her face. Madge nodded and heard the door open, "Well Sergeant Gale's here so my shift's done. I'll be here tomorrow before you guys wake up."

They watched as she walked out the door but not before saying, "By the way if you guys get into any trouble just press the button I gave you."

By the time dinner had rolled around and Gale was gone, Katniss was still looking at Peeta with that hurt and confused look still on her face.

* * *

"So how was your day with the Mocking Jay?" Theo asked, clacking away on his computer. Glitter was in the shower if the sound of the water running was any indication.

Madge flopped down and the couch and laid down, sighing to release some of the tension in her body, she draped one of her arms across her eyes. "Annoying and would you please stop referring to her as the Mocking Jay? She has name you know."

Theo stopped and turned to look at her like she had said something blasphemous. Madge rolled her eyes, "I know you worship her and all but calm down. She is a person you know."

"A person who saved the Districts and won the war for us," Theo explained, talking to her like she was a child.

"Just don't let Glitter hear you say that, she might get jealous," Madge teased.

Theo turned around quickly and started on his computer again, "She doesn't feel that way about me Madge."

"Yes, she does Theo," Madge whispered. It was silent in the tiny motel room save for the soft _whoosh-whoosh _of the fan overhead and the shower running. "Why can't you see that?"

Theo's broad shoulders were tense, "Just leave it Mad."

"Theo—"

"I said leave it!" Theo's deep voice boomed. It was rare for Theo to yell. With his deep voice, there was hardly any need but when he did yell people listened, either out of curiosity, respect, or fear. He took a deep breath and started typing again, "Why would she ever love someone like me? I can't offer her anything Mad. Not even a last name. So just—leave it. Please?"

The last part was said quietly, in a whisper that barely carried. Madge sighed and ran a hand through her hair, she knew about Theo's past. An orphan who was dropped off on the doorsteps of an orphanage as a baby with nothing but a note that said, _My name is Theo. _He was the smallest kid there and because of that the other kids made his life a living hell. He ran away from there when he was 12. His life was even worse after that.

Madge stared at Theo's back, she still remembered the first time she saw him. It was raining that night, so hard it hurt her skin even through her thin, long-sleeved T-shirt. There was flash of lightning and it illuminated him for a second. He had a cut above his left eye that was still bleeding, a swollen jaw, split lip, and knuckles that were torn and bleeding. She remembered how well they fought together in the pounding rain, she was quick and light on her feet, hitting where it would do the most damage. While he fought with heavy punches and powered kicks that shattered bone. She remembered letting him walk her back to her motel.

She also remembered him showing up on her doorstep night after night after that with new bruises and cuts. She remembered seeing him walking away with a limp and wincing while breathing.

"_Where do these bruises come from Theo?" She had asked. "What do you do?"_

_He stared at her with haunting, empty eyes, "I survive." _

The sound of someone knocking on the door shattered the tense atmosphere. Madge sighed and got up, "I'll get it."

Madge opened the door to see Gale standing there, "What are you doing here?"

"Can I come in?" Gale asked, his shoulders hunched over, and his eyes were flickering back and forth like he was expecting something to come out of the shadows and attack him. Madge stepped out of the way. "Thanks."

"Who was at the door?" Glitter asked, toweling her wet hair and with only a tiny white towel wrapped around her body. Her eyes traced up to Gale and an alluring smile spread across her face. "Hello."

Gale gave her a heart melting smile, "And who are you?"

Madge rolled her eyes, "Down boy, she's taken. And Glitter? Go put on some clothes!"

Glitter pouted, her bottom lip jutted out in a way that drove all men crazy, and Gale was no different. Madge just rolled her eyes again and walked back into the living room.

"Who was it?" Theo asked, not looking up from what he was doing. He wasn't on the computer anymore; instead he was tinkering with something.

"Gale Hawthorne."

Theo's hands didn't still but he did look up, "What's he doing here?"

Madge shrugged and took a seat next to him on the couch, "Don't know, right now he's too busy flirting into Glitter's pants."

At that Theo gave her his full attention, his twitchy hands stilling and an intense light came into his eyes. He was jealous. Madge would've smirked if she wasn't so tired. "Don't worry about it Theo, it's not like she'll say yes. She's holding out for one special guy."

"Are you still on about this?" Theo turned back so she couldn't see his annoyed expression. He knew her well enough that if she did see it, she wouldn't let it drop.

Madge sighed but decided to let it go. She scooted closer to him to see what he was working on, "What are you doing?"

The 20 year old moved over so she could observe. "You know the problems with our comm.'s right now right?"

"Yeah, the farthest you can get is ten miles before we're out of range from each other. Are you trying to fix that?"

Theo tilted his head at her and smirked, "Not try. Just did. The range is 50 miles now."

Madge grinned, "Boulder, you are a freaking genius I hope you know that."

"What?"

"I said you're a genius."

Theo grinned, "I know, I just like hearing you say that."

Madge shook her head, laughing; she bumped him with her shoulder. He bumped her back.

That was the scene that Glitter and Gale walked in on, the two laughing and smiling at each other.

"What's going on here?" Glitter smiled at them but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Nothing, Theo here was just amazing me with how conceited he could be."

"Oh, really?" Glitter's eyes showed that she didn't really believe that was all that happened. "I'm just going to get changed, Theo you want to help me?"

_Meaning I'm jealous and I want to maker sure you weren't flirting with another girl_, Madge interpreted. She smirked inwardly, _And she says she doesn't feel anything for him._

"Um, sure?" Theo was confused but didn't say anything, just got up and followed her to her room.

"Someone's getting laid tonight," Madge sang.

"Are those two…?"

"No but they should be, don't you think?" She was in a good mood. "Why are you here?"

Gale was uncertain but he'd come this far. He took a deep breath, just as Theo came back into the room, "I want in on your operation."

"What exactly does that mean?" Madge raised one pale eye brow.

Gale looked her directly in the eyes, "I want to be on your team to take down Heetov."

* * *

"What did you mean earlier?" Katniss asked, looking at her boyfriend—that is what he was, right?—of five years.

"What are you talking about Kat?" Katniss felt herself blushing at his nickname for her. He only ever used it when it was just them.

"When you said we didn't need to get married," the two laid in bed together, not touching but intensely aware of each other. Despite them living together for three years, they had only had sex a handful of times.

"Well, we don't, do we? I mean," Peeta shrugged. "I know how I feel."

Katniss propped her head on one arm to look at him, she made a vaguely insulted noise. "Are you saying I don't love you?"

"What?" Peeta's eyes went wide. "Where did you get that idea?"

"You just said you didn't know how I feel about you."

"No! I said I know how _I _feel."

"You implied it." Katniss hadn't shouted the whole time and her eyes were steady on his baby blues.

Peeta sighed, "Okay, yes maybe I did. But can you blame me? You're not exactly Ms. Emotional, Katniss."

Katniss' eyes narrowed, "I thought guys hated emotional girls."

"Yeah but it would be nice to know to how my girlfriend feels every once in a while."

Her eyes narrowed to slits. "Are you saying that I'm unfeeling, that I don't—"

"I'm saying you're an ice queen Katniss!" Peeta exploded, getting out of the bed, running his hand through his dirty blonde hair. "Half the time I don't even know if you love me or Gale!"

Katniss got out of the bed, her movements quiet and her entire body was tense. Her posture screamed hunter. "I'm dating you Peeta, not Gale."

Peeta scoffed, "You sure about that? 'Cause you don't act like it, Katniss."

Her voice turned dangerous, laden with warnings and promise of pain. "What does that mean?"

Peeta gave a half laugh, licking his bottom lip. "You and Gale have a bond that no one can—can _intrude _on. How do you think that makes me feel? Knowing that another guy knows you better than _I _do?!"

"Are you really _jealous _of Gale? Of course we have a bond! If it wasn't for him I would've died a long time ago!" Katniss moved closer to Peeta, "Peeta, I'm with you not Gale."

Peeta backed away before she could touch him and that hurt more than she could say. "He was your first love Katniss."

"Peeta—"

"Don't even try to deny it. You may call him alot of things but you have never _once _thought of him as a brother. He was your first love Katniss and you never stop loving that person, not really."

Katniss gave a bitter bark of a laugh, "Are you really so insecure that you think I would leave you for—you know what? I can't do this with you, not today."

Katniss threw her hands up and walked past Peeta, his hand shot out and grabbed her arm. He turned her around, his blue eyes burning. "We are having this conversation Katniss."

His grip was tight but not enough to hurt—but that didn't help her any. She knew how strong he was, how fierce he could be. How hot and bright and dark the fire was that was hiding behind his genial personality. She jerked her arm out of his grip and rounded on him. "How dare you. How dare you _accuse _me and then you have the nerve to manhandle me?!"

He swallowed, trying to beat down on the familiar rush of insanity. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that."

Katniss looked into his bright blue eyes and saw the madness that was hidden there. The madness that the Capital drove him to, it was never gone. It was always hidden but never gone, lurking until it found its opportunity to strike. Katniss may have feared Peeta's strength but she knew Peeta feared himself more.

"You need to calm down Peeta before you hurt yourself."

That was when he broke, his face crumpled like paper, "I'm so scared Katniss. I can still _feel them in my mind_. It's been five years but I can still _feel them messing with my head!_"

He was crying, a part of her mind realized. She couldn't do anything though, she didn't know what to do. Both of them stood there, one of them crying. The other stood frozen.

One fearing the darker side of him.

And the other struggling with her memories.

Neither of them forgetting that today was the day Prim died. Or that today was the day the Capital finally broke Peeta.

* * *

**DONE! Okay, so I have no idea how long the war actually was so I'm extending it to a year and a half to two years. So Katniss would be about 18 or 19 when the war finished. Anyway, DRAMA! I'm very satisfied with this chapter despite the rocky beginning of this chapter (meaning horrible start). Most people portray Katniss and Peeta later on as the sort of "perfect" couple but you have to keep in mind that every couple has problems. Their's is just a little more…darker. With both of them dealing of PTSD, Peeta with his madness, and Katniss with her intimacy issues and a whole slew of others that's too long to list, they're not exactly a vanilla couple. More like blood couple… And I'm sorry if this chapter made Peeta seem a bit too intense but you have to keep in mind what the Capital did to him. REVIEW! SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO FieryGoldenPheonix FOR MAKING ME WANT TO UPDATE FASTER!**


	8. Chapter 8: Important

Vendetta

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

* * *

Chapter Eight: Important

"Absolutely not," Theo said as soon as the words left Gale's mouth.

Gale frowned and turned to look at Theo for the first time. First thing that came to his mind? The guy was a fucking giant. "Was I talking to you?"

Theo scowled, war hero or not, he wasn't going to allow anyone who could hurt Mad get close. "Doesn't matter if you were, I'm on this team too and I don't want you on it."

"Why not? Undersee was right earlier when she said that District 12 and Skarslet are different. I know the layout of this place, you guys don't. I can also tell you who belongs and who doesn't."

Theo crossed his arms over his broad chest, "How would you know? As far as I know you've been assigned to District 2."

Gale shrugged, "I like to come back here, remind myself of why I'm doing what I'm doing."

Madge let out a snort, "By that you mean you come back here to try and win back Katniss."

Gale stood up and shot her a scathing glare. She just shrugged back at him much to his irritation.

"Either way I come back here often enough I know all the new places as well as the old ones." Gale stared back at Theo. Madge could feel the testosterone just crackling in the air.

The blonde rolled her eyes, "Okay, enough with the male alpha off. You're both very manly and sexy."

Gale blinked and gave her a strange look but Theo just rolled his eyes and gave her a tiny smile.

Madge got up and tilted her head towards the kitchen.

"Stay here," Theo commanded and followed Madge to the kitchen. Gale considered pacing back and forth and moving to the other chair just to annoy him. _Stop it Gale, you have more self-control than this._

Gale got up and ducked behind the wall that separated the tiny living room and the kitchen so he could hear their conversation.

"No absolutely not," Theo said as soon as both of them were in the kitchen.

Madge crossed her arms over her chest and drew herself up to her full height, and even though she was short compared to him—he was six foot five and she was five foot six—she still intimidated him. "He's right though Theo, neither you nor Glitter have ever been here and it's been five _years _since I've last been here. He's our best source of information right now."

Theo looked her with an unreadable expression, "Do you trust him Mad?"

"Depends on what kind of trust you're talking about. I trust him to save the District. I trust him to save my friend Katniss. I trust him to do his best to take down Heetov."

"I'm asking if you trust him with your life, that if it came down to you or him could you trust him to save you over himself?"

The blonde shrugged, "If that's the kind of trust you're talking about than the only person I trust in Skarslet is Katniss. Maybe Peeta but considering how bad the Capital fucked him up I'm not sure. If it came right down to it though, I wouldn't trust anyone in this District with my life except for Katniss."

Gale's eyes narrowed, _What's that supposed to mean?_

Madge sighed, "Look, I don't exactly have a lot of happy memories of this District but I'll be damned if I let Heetov take over. Whether I like it or not, this is my home turf."

"Can't we just run Heetov out? We've done it before."

Madge shook her head, "We can't do that. Here in Skarslet is where Heetov is at his weakest, he has almost no power over the residents here and the people are already naturally suspicious, they're not going to trust a stranger so easily. Especially a stranger that's selling sex." Madge gave a wry chuckled, "Hell they barely trust people who have lived here their entire lives."

"Mad," Theo stepped forward, his hand stretched out to touch her.

Madge stopped him, her fingers flicking her hair out of her eyes, "I'm fine Theo, just got a bit caught up in my memories is all."

Gale frowned, _What the fuck is she talking about now?_

"You know me and Glitter can do this by our self if you're not comfortable."

"No," Madge shook her head. "Don't be stupid, the people may not like me but they're gonna trust me more than two strangers they've never seen before."

Theo looked at her, "I still don't trust him Mad."

Madge smiled sadly, "You don't have to trust someone to work with them."

Theo sighed, "Guess I don't really have a choice huh?"

"Not even a little bit," Madge gave a wry chuckled and patted his cheek, "but you'll get over it. Anyway, I'm going to go and tell Glitter, you go make nice with our newest teammate."

"You can come out now," Theo said when Madge had left the room.

Gale got up and stared at him with a weary expression, "How long have you known?"

Theo shrugged, the movement making his muscles more pronounce under his thin t-shirt. "After Madge did. You're good I'll give you that much. You're a hunter aren't you?"

Gale was on guard maybe it was his Seam Suspicion, but could you blame him? Just a moment ago the guy was all for kicking him out on the streets now he was going to play nice just because Undersee said so? "Yeah how'd you know?"

The guy—Theo—looked at him with one corner quirked up in an almost half smile, "Not alot of people can sneak up on me. I didn't realize you were listening in until we were already pretty well into the conversation. Madge confirmed it by nodding at me when I asked."

Gale's brow furrowed, "How did you ask her? I didn't hear anything."

Theo gave a dry chuckle, "Me and her have a sort of code. I don't know what the code is but we have it."

Gale laughed quietly too—might as well play nice too—but something bothered him. "How did she know I was there? How did you for that matter?"

Theo's shoulders lifted, "I got beat up a lot, learned to listen. As for Mad…didn't you grow up with her something?"

Gale looked around the tiny motel. "You mean you don't know?"

His tone was nonchalance, "Mad is a private person she doesn't like to talk about herself." Gale heard him give a tiny—but true—laugh while he scanned the floor. That dried brown stain on the brown carpet was coffee right? "The only way to get her to talk about herself is to rile her up until she admits something."

Gale tried to remember if Undersee ever gave anything about herself while he scanned the walls, the wallpaper was faded and peeling and stained. "Why are you acting so nice all of a sudden?"

"Because Mad said so."

Gale looked at him in disbelief, "You're being nice to me just because Undersee said so? What does she have on you?"

Theo shrugged, amusement tugging at his lips. "She doesn't have anything on me, I follow her willingly."

The shorter male shifted uncomfortably, what's with the talk of following her willingly? What the hell did she do to get a fucking giant at her beck and call? "Why? I mean, Undersee's pretty but she ain't _that _pretty."

This time there was definitely amusement in his voice, it did wonders to the giant. His bodies relaxed, his shoulders fell back and his eyes turned warm, it made him look almost approachable. A laugh rumbled out of him. "I don't follow her because she's _pretty _Hawthorne, I follow her because she's my savior."

"I'm sorry what?" Gale almost laughed at that, Undersee could barely take care of herself let alone _save _anyone.

Gale barely managed to not flinch when he saw the Giant's—that's what he was calling him from now on—eyes darken. His mouth pressed into a thin line turning his lips white, "If it wasn't for her I'd be dead or bleeding out in some dark alley or…"

Theo trailed off and Gale saw the far away look in his eyes and knew that he was lost in his memories. Gale felt like he was intruding. "What District were you from?"

Theo snapped out of his memoires but Gale saw that his eyes were still dark. "7."

Gale nodded, "Lumber district. I'm from 12."

There was ghost of a smile on his face, "I know."

"Oh…right," Gale said, his face flushing a bit.

"Maybe you're not so bad," Theo smiled but than his face turned serious. "But if you hurt Mad I'm gonna to show you why people used to call me Boulder."

Before Gale could say anything he heard the other woman—Glitter wasn't it?—yell out, "Hey boys! Get your asses in here!"

Gale watched as the dark look was wiped off Theo's face and a soft look entered it. He immediately went into the living room. _Undersee's right, those two are made for each other._

Gale followed him.

"Hey. I'm Glitter, that's Theo and that's Madge but I guess you already knew that." Glitter smiled shyly at him and blushed a bit, looking down. He was confused, what happened to the girl that he was flirting with not even ten minutes ago? He looked over at Undersee to see her giving him an understanding smile. He looked away quickly, she still made him uncomfortable—especially after what Giant had said about her.

"Hi." He said shortly and took a seat.

Madge looked around her team, "Alright. So first things first, where he's staying at. How far are you on that Theo?"

"No luck Mad, he's either not staying in any hotels or he got smart and started using aliases that sound like actual names." Theo snorted, "Remember Seymour B. Oubs?"

Glitter flushed but Madge just rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at her lips. "Check motels next, it's not his style but who knows." She turned to look at him and Gale was surprised by the hardness in his eyes. What did Heetov do that pissed her off so much? "Can you tell people in Skarslet to be careful of anyone who's new?"

"I don't think you need to worry about that Undersee, we naturally don't trust new people. Call it Seam Suspicion." This time Madge did smile and Gale noticed for the first time that her hair was down. He'd always thought her hair was a product of the Capital—because really who had dark blonde hair with sun-bleached white strands mixed in?—but he saw that it wasn't. The bleached strands went all the way to her roots and he noticed that her hair was slightly wavy, likely from the French braid. He cleared his throat realizing that he was staring. "Alright, I got a question."

"Fire away."

Gale's grey eyes flicker to each of them, taking in their postures and their body language. "I can identify every newbie in this town, sure, but how are you going to take down Heetov? No one knows what he looks like, he could look like anyone. He could be a ten year old girl for all we know!"

He had a point—not the ten year old girl thing, that was just ridiculous—but about how no one had ever seen Heetov. The only ones who knew what he looked like were the people who traveled with him. At the most, only three people knew what he looked like.

"You don't need to worry about that," Glitter spoke up and Gale looked over at her. Instantly he was on guard—and confused. At first she was flirty and coy than she was shy, now she looked arrogantly bored. She was looking at him with a smirk on her face and her eyelids drooped like she didn't care what was going on.

"Yeah? And why is that?" _Is she bipolar or something?_

The smirk was still on her face but something about her suddenly seemed to—harden. "He's my dad."

* * *

**DONE! So who expected it that huh?**


	9. Chapter 9: Reason for Everything

Vendetta

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

* * *

Chapter Nine: Reason for Everything

Gale laughed disbelievingly, "You're kidding right?"

He was met with three non-laughing eyes. "But…Heetov doesn't…I mean…it's impossible!"

Glitter raised one eye brow and looked down at herself, "Clearly not."

Gale held up both of his hands as if to say pause, "Th-that's not what I mean, I mean..."

Madge laughed, "Its fine Gale, you reacted better than Theo did when he first found out."

Gale shook his head, "Okay, so if he actually is your dad, why would you want to take him down?"

Glitter shook her head and exhaled sharply through her nose, "Because it isn't right what he's doing. Because I want him to take back everything he ever said about me. Take your pick, there are a million different reasons why I want to do it. In the end though, all that matters is that I want to do it."

Gale had to bite his lip to stop himself from saying that_ no, just because you want to do, it doesn't matter._ Instead he said, "Okay, I can respect that I guess." He looked at Madge and Theo, "But why are you two here?"

"I'm just here for the ride," Theo shrugged.

Madge didn't look at him, "Glitter is my friend."

Gale's eyes narrowed but didn't call her out. He could do that later. There was a knock on the door and everyone tensed. Madge and Gale's hands automatically going to their weapons—after the kitchen incident Gale refused to go anywhere without a weapon—and Theo moved his body slightly so that his bulk hid Glitter's tiny frame. Madge slowly got up, putting the safety off, pointing at Gale and Theo to position themselves on either side of the hallway leading to the door. Madge nodded at Glitter to go and hide in the kitchen. Glitter's mouth twisted—the only sign of defiance—but complied.

Madge walked down the hallway knowing that, despite the two men guarding her back, she was essentially alone. Her heart pounded but there was a rush of anticipation—it had been too long since she was able to do anything without conferring to someone else. She looked and the peephole and let out an aggravated sigh, putting the safety back on. "It's just Peeta!"

The blonde heard grumbles and had to fight back her own as she opened the door. Peeta's smile dropped when he saw the gun held loosely in her fingers. "Uh, should I come back?"

Madge shook her head, her hair tickling her jaw reminding her to pull it back into a messy ponytail, "No it's fine. What's up Peeta?"

Peeta bit his lip but there was something in his jean blue eyes that made Madge close the door behind her. "Where do you want to go?"

"Come on," Peeta jerked his head. "I know a place."

They walked in silence, their movements swift. Madge took the opportunity to study her maybe-friend. There was a jerkiness in his steps that suggested that he was tense and his shoulders were higher than usual, like he was trying to hide from the world. Not to mention his eyes…

His pupils were so dilated they almost disappeared in the blue of his eyes. Peeta stooped at the fence—the electricity rerouted to the homes instead of the fence—and wiggled through the hole with the ease of habit, Madge followed with little problem. Peeta's gaze didn't wonder, not even to check if Madge was still following. She trailed after him a little ways into the forest before he turned and climbed up a tiny hill, lying down. She clambered up after him and stared down at him.

Her brow lifted, "Why are we here?"

Peeta took a deep breath and let it out, "I just…needed someone to talk too."

"You didn't answer my question."

Peeta looked at her than back at the sky, "Too much chance of me running into Katniss."

Madge almost laughed, "So you decide to go into the forest? Katniss' second home?"

Peeta smiled a bit at that before he frowned again. He scooted over, she took the cue to sit down beside him. "When we have an argument she usually goes to Prim's grave."

"So you did have an argument?" He nodded, "What was it about?"

Peeta gave a sarcastic laugh that made her look at him in concern. "What do you think? Gale of course."

She stared at him, waiting for him to elaborate. He told her everything that happened, his eyes never leaving the sky above them. When he finished, it was silent. The wind rustled the leaves.

Madge couldn't help but laugh. "You two are so damn stupid! You're so inconsiderate of each other I'm surprised you two haven't murdered each other already!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" There was a dark look in his eyes.

She shook her head and clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Katniss _loves _you, you know that."

"Then why won't she admit it?" Peeta's jaw was clenched but he still didn't look at her. His profile tensed but there was something in his shoulders that told her he was hurt.

"_Because_," Madge almost yelled, surprising Peeta enough to look at her. It wasn't often she raised her voice—or ever for that matter. "She's spent almost her entire childhood locking away her emotions. It wasn't like she had a choice okay? It was survival."

"So what? You're saying it's all _my_ fault?" He sat up, his eyes narrowing accusingly at her.

"No! I'm not saying that!" The sun above them striking her hair in a way that made it glow but her eyes were unreadable. "You guys don't ever talk. You guys just _bury_ your problems."

Peeta stood up, towering over her, his hands clenched. "Did I ask for your opinion?"

She tilted her head up to look at him, eyes squinting against the bright glare of the sun. Her voice was calm, "Than why did you bring me out here?"

His jaw opened, closed, opened, than closed again with a clench. He turned his back to her. He whispered, "I just wanted someone to talk to, that's all."

Madge slowly stood up, her hand out reached to touch his shoulder but let it fall inches away. She stayed quiet, not sure what to say. He turned around so suddenly she was caught off guard.

"There was a body you know." There was something in his voice that made her want to say sorry but she kept quiet again. His blue eyes were intense with madness but unreadable. "I asked Katniss about it two months after the Capital let me go, I asked where you were. I wanted to talk to you, you know? Almost every Townie was dead or missing, but I was _so sure_ that you were alive."

She finally found her voice but it was more of a croak, "Why?"

Peeta ran his hand through his thick blonde hair, "Because you're _you. _You could get out of anything, detentions, clean up, _anything. _You just had to smile and say a few words and you had every adult wrapped around your little finger."

Madge barked a laugh, "You give me too much credit."

"Maybe," his eyes were so intense Madge had to look away. Madge knew he was right though, ever since she was young she _always _knew what to say to take the attention off her and on something else. "So if that wasn't your body, whose was it?"

Madge stared at the tree just over his shoulder, "That was probably Rosie, our house keeper. She moved in when her kids died of pneumonia."

Peeta nodded, "So many people died in the bombing, both of our families died."

Her jaw tightened, "What's your point Peeta."

"Where have you been Madge?" Dark blue eyes glared into hers, the anger, grief, and madness drilling into her heart. "It's been five_ years_ since I last saw you and three since the war ended. Where have you been all this time?"

Madge looked at the ground, it was almost fall, the ground was drying up and there were already tufts of yellow grass showing up among the green. She looked back up at him, "That's none of your damn business."

"Of course it is!" Peeta yelled. "We've known each other since we were little kids! We're friends Madge."

Madge opened her mouth to say something but closed it.

Peeta caught the tiny movement, "What? Spit it out Madge."

The blonde pressed her lips together, "Are we friends?"

"What are you talking about?"

She gave him a hard look, her face shuttered. Emotions inaccessible to him. "I walked into your bakery and brought your products but _that was it_. We never talked Peeta, we smiled at each other, we waved good bye and then I left. _That _was our relationship."

Peeta's mouth opened and he seemed to struggle for something to say. He was lost for words—ironic considering words were what kept him alive all those years ago. "You're the second most frustrating girl I know."

"Only the second?" There was amusement in her eyes. "I'm hurt Peeta, I really am."

Peeta bit his lip, glad the tension had eased somewhat but he was still curious. When he spoke again his voice was cautious, "Madge, where were you during the war?"

There was something in her face than that made him feel like he had said something he didn't. Disturbed something he shouldn't have. When she looked at him again, it was like his world tilted. Because he _knew _that look, knew that look of pain and anguish and utter hopelessness. He saw it everyday when he woke up from nightmares about his time at the Capital.

Madge gave him a tentative smile that both did and didn't reach her eyes. "Same place you were Peeta."

* * *

**DONE! Sorry it took so long but this will probably be the last chapter for a couple of weeks. But I'M NOT GIVING UP ON THIS! I just sort of lost my inspiration and need to shuffle my notes is all.**

**On another note, some of you will probably be complaining about how Glitter is sort of well...weak but I promise you there will be a reason for this. Next, ohhhhh is Peeta going to figure out what Madge went through? Maybe, maybe not...no one knows! Well, I know. **

**Also, new cover image. This was the closest thing I could find online on how I think Madge looks. Just imagine she has white-blonde streaks going all the way up to her roots. And maybe have the face not be so...model-esce. I imagine Madge not being the conventional beauty, more like the rough around the edges beauty.**

**REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 10: Talks

Vendetta

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

Chapter Ten: A Talk

Peeta swallowed, "Oh my gosh. I-I'm so sorry Madge."

She gave a pained smile. That disturbed him more than anything. It was the fact that suddenly her emotions were so _out there_. The Madge he knew, the Madge he grew up with, always hid her feelings behind a wall—made of impenetrable stone—and vacant, harmless seeming eyes. But now though the wall was gone, it was like a dam had broken and now all her emotions were flooding out of her.

"How did they—"Peeta swallowed against the memories that flooded him. "How did they get you?"

_:::_

_Waking up to darkness._

_A creak of the cellar door._

_Blinding brightness._

_Surrounded by peacekeepers their white uniforms hazy in the blinding sun._

_A yell._

_A scream._

_Pain._

_Darkness._

_:::_

"When I woke up the bombing was over and I was surrounded by peacekeepers. They must have knocked me out or something because the next thing I know I'm in a lab."

"Did they—you know…hurt you?"

Madge bit her lip, nodded.

_:::_

_When she woke up there was freezing steel and leather restraints biting into her skin. She tugged at them, her hands barely moved. Madge forced herself to remain calm, panicking would do her no good. _

"_You're finally awake? Good," Madge lifted her eyes to meet cold gray ones that were nothing like ones at home. This gray was an unnatural shade, too light and too bright and too dark at the same time. It was surgically enhanced._

"_Who are you?" Madge asked, tugging at her restraints again._

_The woman looked over her glasses—clearly fake since anyone who was in the Capital had no need for them except for decoration—at her. The woman had her light purple hair tied back into a severe bun, her face was stretched, and strangely shiny like it was made of plastic. "I'm Dr. Marble."_

"_Where am I?" Madge looked around the room. It was stark white but the lights were strange. They didn't hum so much as buzz. The room was square, tiny, had no windows, and only had one door that blended almost seamlessly into the walls. Madge turned her head to see there was a shelf to her right and a tiny tray. She forced her eyes away from the tray._

_Marble gave her a look that clearly meant she thought Madge was worth less than the dirt beneath her feet. "Can't tell you that Sweets."_

_Madge gritted her teeth, "Don't call me that, you Capital lap dog."_

_The woman's face suddenly went hard._

Crack!

_Madge's face snapped to the other side, her right cheek burning from the woman's hand._

_Marble grabbed her hair pulling her head back to look at her, "You have no idea what you owe the Capital. You ungrateful, degenerate, rebel _scum!"

_Madge grinned up at her, trying not to wince as the pain in her head worsened. "Better to be rebel scum than be the Capital's bitch."_

_Marble let her head go and Madge's head clunked back to the metal table she was strapped too. The purple haired woman snapped her gloves and picked up a scalpel from the tray beside her. She grinned, cold and cruel. "Usually I don't like doing this but for you, I'll make an exception."_

_Her body felt like it was being pulled apart._

_:::_

Suddenly the Madge he knew was back as she stared at him with detached eyes. "Can I ask you a question?"

He nodded, stepping closer to her. "Of course."

She hesitated and when she looked at him again there was tiny crack in her exterior, large enough that he could see the fear and uncertainty. "Do you…have scars? Like ones that…you can…see?"

Peeta shook his head, confused, "No why would I—"understanding dawned on his face—"you don't…they didn't? Oh my gosh."

Madge just stared at him, her mask crashing back in place. It was silent, awkward, loud, and crushing.

"I am so sorry, Madge," Peeta whispered, horror of the worst kind on his face. The kind of horror that meant you knew _exactly _what they went through.

She gave him a false smile, "Hey, not like it's your fault."

Peeta swallowed, suddenly irritated at her. "Stop that."

Madge blinked, "Stop what?"

"Hiding! I know what you've been through, you know what I've been through. I don't think we need to hide from each other."

Madge tensed for a moment before relaxing, "You're right. I-I'm sorry, it's just…like instinct after all this time."

Peeta looked away and said quietly, "Yeah. I know what you mean."

Madge didn't need to ask what he was talking about. It was District 12's worst kept secret. She smiled at him. False and true at the same time. "See? This is the problem with your relationship; you guys try to convince each other that everything is _fine _when it's _not_. You guys—bottle it up until…one or both of you explode."

Peeta sighed and scratched his head, "I guess so huh?"

Madge stared at him, "You really love her don't you?"

Peeta laughed, "I've been in love with her since I was little kid, you know that Madge."

"Second worst kept secret in our District and the in Town," she murmured, a small wind blowing her hair in her face.

His head cocked to one side, humor in his eyes. "What was the first than?"

She gave him a level stare, "The fact that your mom beat you and your brother and your father did nothing to stop her."

He flinched—a tiny one but still a flinch. "You don't sugar coat anything do you?"

Madge shrugged but her eyes stared unapologetically into his, "I figured you wouldn't want me to tip toe around you."

Peeta almost smiled at that, he inclined his head in agreement—not quite a nod though, "Come on, let me walk you home."

She nodded. The two fell into step and silence as they walked, Madge taking the lead when they were past the fence. Peeta looked at her from the corner of his eye, wondering what she was thinking about.

:::

_Her body was drenched with sweat, making Madge realize that she was wearing nothing more than a sports bra and a pair of really short shorts. Her stomach had the worst of it, burning and freezing at the same time. Her breath came out in short pants. _

"_Now than, are you going talk dearie?" Marble looked at her with cold eyes. "What are the Rebel's final plans?"_

_Madge stayed silent, using the opportunity to get her bearings before the pain started again. _

Go away, go away, go away, _her mind begged. _Leave me alone.

_Marble scowled, grabbed the bucket of ice cold water—that was regularly refilled—and dumped it on the blonde's head. She sputtered, coughing out water, her lungs burning. She was shivering again._

"_Now," Marble put down the bucket, "Let's try this again. What are Rebel's final plans?" _

"_I don't know!" Madge yelled before she could stop herself._

_Her unnatural gray eyes narrowed, "Really?"_

_Madge swallowed and stayed quiet. She hated that she had said anything, it felt like they were winning. If anything that was one thing she had in common with Katniss, it was that she hated losing too. _

_Marble nodded, like Madge had confirmed something and pressed a button under the tray and walked out the room. _

"_Wait!" Madge yelled, "What's going to happen to me! Answer me dammit!"_

_She heard the quiet _shoosh _of door opening, she looked and saw two people enter. Both in peacekeeper uniforms—with the sleeves rolled up—but without the visors._

_One man and one woman, both the same height with black hair and eyes with unnaturally pale skin. _

Siblings maybe? _Madge's mind analyzed._

_The woman was clearly the leader, she walked slightly ahead of the male with a cocky bounce in her steps. The male was drunk, his pupils dilated and his steps were slurred slightly—so slight she wouldn't have noticed if Madge hadn't spent most of her childhood around Haymitch._

Can I use that to my advantage?

_Madge felt something prick her neck, she turned to see Marble holding a needle. She was out in seconds._

:~:~:~:

"I still can't believe you actually stay here." Peeta shook his head, giving the moldy wooden steps a critical look.

Madge felt herself smile, "It's not that bad. Which reminds, how did you find out my address anyway?"

"It's like I said, gossip travels fast around here," Peeta said opening the door for her.

"See you tomorrow Peeta." Madge waved at him.

:~:~:~:

_In the dream she was eleven years old, too young to be entered into the reaping—until tomorrow on her twelfth birthday. Madge was walking down the hallway, it was dark outside and it would be midnight in twenty minutes. Her bare feet were cold against the wooden floor and her night gown did nothing to warm her up. She scratched at her neck where the lace was rubbing against it. She hated lace, she hated her night gowns, she hated dresses—they never let her move the way she wanted too, one cartwheel and the entire world would be able to see her underwear—but most of all she hated the look in her mother's eyes when Madge had changed her morphine bag before bedtime. Like she was staring a ghost. _

_Madge squeezed her eyes tight, counting the breaths until she reached her mother's door. The door slid open and Madge slipped inside. The whoosh of the door opening and closing almost silent, her footsteps on the carpeted floor even quieter. Madge stood at the edge of her mother's bed, watching the woman that she called mom sleep._

_She was pale, her skin translucent—a combination between never going outside and the sleeping all the time—Madge could see the blue veins that ran underneath her skin. But it was more than that, it was like she was washed out or everything about her had been faded. Everything about her was pale and washed out. Her blonde hair was almost white, like she was 70 instead of 37, her clothes seemed faded, and Madge knew that if she opened her eyes they would be a faded, vacant, blue._

_Her breaths were shallow and her frame was too skinny. Elbows and knees jutting out from underneath her dress._

_Madge felt her breath catch, was this really her mother? This defenseless, out-of-it, woman that was helpless without her morphine? This wasn't how mother's was supposed to be like, she knew this. They were supposed to strong and feisty or quiet but determined. Like Katniss's mother or Gale's mother._

_Not so fucking out of touch with reality they barely realized they had a daughter._

"_Stop that Madge, you'll make yourself go insane," she whispered to herself, the heels of her hands digging into her eyes. She swallowed and forced herself to turn back around when she heard her mother's bed creak._

"_Maysilee?" Her mother's was quiet and cracked from disuse but it was clearer and stronger than Madge had heard it in months._

_Madge opened her mouth to correct her but nothing came out, heat prickling the back of her eyes. Her mother stood up slowly, legs shaking from disuse, one arm resting on the wall to help her._

"_Why are you here?" Her eyes were too wide and her pupils to small, she looked half mad._

"_M-mom, I-I'm not—" Madge found her voice but to her horror tears began to fill her mother's eyes._

"_Why did you have to leave me?" Her mother shuffled closer. "Why'd you have to leave me all alone? I missed you so much Maysilee."_

_Madge shook her head slightly, "Mom I'm not—"_

"_Why'd you have to be so selfish?" Her voice was still quiet but there was something about it that made her mother seem even madder._

"_Mom, what are you talking about? It's me, Madge!" The blonde slowly stepped back, fear and dread roiling in her stomach._

_Her mother stepped forward and suddenly lashed out, pushing Madge into the wall. Madge caught herself out of pure instinct and stared at her mother with wide eyes, "Mom?"_

"_Why'd you have to go?!" Her mother yelled, eyes wide and hands digging into her scalp. "Why did you have to leave me alone?! Why did you have to be so selfish?!"_

"_Mom, I'm not—" Madge stopped, her voice thick. When she spoke again, her voice was low and pleading. She admitted something she had never done before. "Mom, _please_, stop this. You-you're scaring me."_

:::

Madge rolled over and opened her eyes, throwing off the covers. Too hot, it was too hot, she felt too hot. The blonde walked out the door of the bedroom and silently slipped into the living room to see the lamp on and Gale there, staring at the papers on the coffee table.

"Couldn't sleep?" Madge asked quietly, lingering in the doorway before realizing she was being stupid—it was _her _motel room—and sitting down next to him on the couch. She was careful to put at least six inches of space between them (she wasn't stupid, she knew _exactly _how he felt about her—not that he tried to hide how he felt about her anyway).

He didn't jump when she had spoken—not surprising since she wasn't even trying to be silent—but he did lean away from her when she sat down. "No, got too much in my head."

He turned his head to look at her, his face shadowed in the near darkness. "What about you?"

She gave a weary sigh and tugged at her blonde hair, mussed by her rolling around. "Bad dreams."

He nodded, "What kind?"

"The kind that's more memories than nightmare," her voice just as quiet at his.

He gave a derisive snort before he could stop himself.

"You know I really wished you would stop that."

"Stop what?"

She gave a tiny puff of air and rolled her neck, "It's been five years Gale, everyone changes."

"No one ever truly changes Undersee."

She snorted, "You clearly haven't."

He glared at her, his grey eyes hard. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Exactly what I said," she turned to look at him and he saw her change. Her body language became hard and tense, her voice serious and with hints of dislike and her eyes were trained on his, unwavering and unflinching. "What gives you the right to judge me when you don't even _know_ me?"

He stared back at her, "I'll tell you what I know. You had two parents, that's one than I had. You went to bed in your room in a house that always had food, electricity, and running water. That's more than I _ever _had. You were lucky, you were fortunate, and you didn't even know what you had."

Madge's eyes were blazes of ice, blue and green chips of frost. "_Exactly._ _Had _Gale, _had. _Both of my parents may have lost their lives in the bombing but I lost both of them way before that. I lost my mother before I was ever even born and I lost my father to the Capital, same as you. Same as Katniss. Same as _everyone _in this fucking District."

Her voice was hard with frustration and anger. And Gale could only watch as he saw the real Madge Undersee, hidden behind glass and ice and stone walls. Anger, frustration, and calculation. He felt his breath catch and his heart stutter in his chest at the light in her unique eyes.

She laughed wryly, "Why can't you get that? Why can't see past what I had and see _who I am?_ Even now, five years later. Look around you Gale, I'm not exactly living it up."

Gale opened his mouth and sighed, "I know I'm sorry, it's just…"

"I get it okay? You're tired, you're stressed, you're frustrated, and you're hurt but that doesn't mean you can lash out at me."

"You're right, I'm sorry."

Madge looked at him, taking note of the way his shoulders rose up in defense and the way he had to hiss the words past his teeth. She sighed, the sound weary and reluctant. "If you're going to be working with me, we need to have a talk Gale."

**DONE! I know, I know, I disgust you guys but I honestly had no idea the chapters would take so long! But now that I have my groove back—can't believe I actually said that by the way—the updates should be more regular but with school coming up don't expect miracles but I'll try to get out at least two chapters per month. But hey! Long chapter! Also, next chapter is the one you guys have all been waiting for…**

**REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 11: Problem Solving

Vendetta

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

* * *

Chapter 11: Problems

"What kind of talk?" Gale asked, his eyes cutting back to the coffee table.

Madge shrugged, leaned back, "You. Me. Your problem with me."

"I don't have a problem with you."

"Bullshit." Madge said, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Gale shifted uncomfortably and tried for sarcastic, "Such a bad word for a proper little princess."

Madge laughed shortly, "I'm not proper and I'm no princess. If you stopped hating me for two seconds you would have seen that by now."

"And if I don't want to talk?"

Madge smiled at him, fake and unreadable. "I don't want to either but if we're going to be working together, I have to make sure we're _able _to work together."

"What does that mean?" Gale crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back, half of him in shadows.

"It means," Madge said quietly. "That this is my team and the man we're going after is very, very dangerous. And one wrong move could literally kill us. You could be very useful to this team but make no mistake, Gale, you're not irreplaceable. Theo is irreplaceable, Glitter is irreplaceable, you _are_. But more importantly, I'm not _jeopardizing_ their lives just because you don't like me."

His eyes narrowed, "I know how to take orders."

"Do you?" Her voice was low and quiet but there was a silent warning. "Because your entire life you've wanted nothing more than to defy the people in charge of your life."

"And with good reason," Gale said, his voice almost dangerous. Eyes glittering coldly. "They ruined my life, they ruined _everybody's _lives that they deemed weren't good enough. They _killed _so many kids for _entertainment_ Madge. Can you really blame me?"

She stared at him, "I'm not blaming you for anything. I get it Gale, I really do—"she ignored his snort of disbelief and went on—"you hated them and you hated that they had so much control over your life. You would've done _anything _to prove that they don't own you. But you couldn't because you had people depending on you—"there was a split second pause like she wanted to say something different. She shook her head—"so you played along and you bided your time and you rebelled in your own small way. And now that you can _finally _do whatever you want…you're not so willing to let that go just yet. Not even for Katniss."

Gale shifted again, uncomfortable with how accurate her words were. But also with the hidden passion in her voice, like she meant what she said. Like she knew how it felt.

She studied him, her mismatched eyes thoughtful before her face softened. She gave a sighing laughing, "I'll make you a deal. I love Theo and Glitter but they like to believe that I'm always right and for the most part that's true. The thing is…I can get a bit too intense and…personal and I need someone to pull me back when that happens."

His eye brow quirked up, "So what, you need a baby sitter?"

She pursed her lips and his eyes wandered to the movement before darting back up to her eyes, "Not exactly. More like crowd control."

He rubbed his knuckles against his leg—a habit she noticed he did when he was confused or trying to figure something out—and stared blankly at her. "I don't get it."

She gave him a smile—a real one this time that made his stomach roll in a way that wasn't entirely uncomfortable. "You will, don't worry."

With that she got up and patted his leg—making it go tingly, numb, and warm—and gave him a warm smile. "You should try and get some sleep."

Gale watched as she disappeared into the shadows of the hallway. Her words ringing in his ear, _Theo is irreplaceable, Glitter is irreplaceable…_

She didn't say anything about her being irreplaceable, he realized and, for some reason, this frightened him.

* * *

When Gale woke up, he was hanging half off the couch and there was something covering his eyes. He blinked a couple of times before realizing it was note, he snatched it off his forehead to read it.

_Didn't want to wake you so I left a note instead. Meet us at Haymitch's old place in the Victor District._

_Madge_

Gale just lay there, staring at the note. Studying his newest teammate's note, looking at her neat and slightly curvy writing. It was blunt, straight to the point, yet undeniably feminine. Kind of like her.

The 24 year old man winced when he realized how much he was thinking about her. This was ridiculous. Still, even as he walked out the door—the note shoved into his pocket—he couldn't help but smile at the memory of the icy fire in her eyes the night before.

* * *

"Again." Glitter picked her head up to glare at Madge.

"Don't you think that's enough practice Madge?" Glimmer ducked her head again when Madge turned to look at her, eyes kind but firm. Not that Glimmer saw.

"Glitter—"

She flinched, "No. You're right—it, uh, was a stupid question."

"Glitter, it's fine. There's no such things as stupid questions remember?" Madge said, her voice soft and understanding but all Glitter could hear was derisive laughter and taunts. She flinched back.

Madge held back a sigh, knowing that would only make the smaller girl retreat into herself more. Madge stood up a little straighter when she saw Gale enter the back yard. His steps were sure and quiet like the hunter he is. His grey eyes turning a light slate color in the morning light. Madge mentally scowled realizing that she was doing it again.

_Stop it, not everyone is a threat to you, _Madge thought, squeezing her eyes shut before opening them again when she felt him sidle up next to her.

"What are we doing here?" He was close enough that she could feel his body heat even through his clothing.

_Does this guy even know the meaning of personal space? _Madge thought idly before answering him. "We're starting recon today but I don't feel comfortable letting everyone go out on their own without knowing how well they can defend themselves if they get jumped by Hetov's men."

"Meaning she's just being overprotective as always," Theo rolled his eyes, rolling his shoulders as he got up from the ground.

"What happened to you?" Gale frowned, noticing the way he was gingerly holding his wrist.

Theo smirked at him, coffee brown eyes twinkling his mischief. "I was too slow pulling back my punch and Mad twisted by wrist."

"She didn't have to twist so hard," Glitter glared at her. "He could've gotten seriously hurt."

Madge snorted, "He's a six foot, five inch giant and weighs 223 pounds it's gonna take more than me causally twisting his arm for me to seriously hurt him."

"Right…of course," Glitter murmured quietly, seeming to shrink as she drew back. She jumped when a heavy hand landed gently on her shoulder, she whipped her head around to see a Theo with an unsure smile on his face. Her heart stuttered in her chest, because _dammit_, did he have to look so cute? And hot? Was it possible to be a combination of the two? She gave him a hesitant smile back in return.

Gale raised both eyebrows and looked at Madge, "You know how to fight?"

The blonde tilted her head and said mildly, "It's been five years remember Gale?"

Gale nodded hastily, "Right of course."

She smothered a smile—thought about telling him just how _long _she had actually known how to fight and decided not to, girl's gotta keep some secrets—and turned back to Glitter. "All right, girlie your turn."

Gale walked over to Theo and cocked his head, "Wanna have a go?"

Theo's grin turned wolfish.

**So this is mostly….filler...and boring. Really, really boring but I had to get it out of the way but don't worry the story starts on track after this. Meaning, ACTION, and ROMANCE, and most definitely TENSION. Also, **_**so**_** sorry****for the really late update but school's bitch and I forgot how much work it actually is. So updates will be sporadic but it WILL happen. Also, this isn't proofread because I was in a hurry to put it out, I'll get back to it…eventually.**


	12. Chapter 12: Like Father, Like Daughter

Vendetta

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

* * *

Chapter 12: Like Father, Like Daughter

Madge stretched out on the motel sofa. It was some time after midnight—12:18 to be exact—and she couldn't sleep. Well, that wasn't necessarily true, she could sleep she just didn't want to. Too many bad dreams and too many good memories haunting her. The only light came from a hazy, glowing bulb behind her head. The blonde raised her right hand, watching the way her scars were just a shade darker of gold than her skin in the light. Madge shut her eyes, swallowing against the rise of memories.

"Dammit, you are stronger than this Madge. Stronger than _them_." Now if only she could believe it. She forced her mind away from the bad memories and to the plan. It was simple, in two days time Glitter and Gale would make their way around the Granite to find a connection—any connection—to Hetov. With Madge trailing behind them like a shadow, keeping an eye out for anyone who looked like they could make them.

Theo wouldn't be going—not just for the obvious reason that he _towered _over everyone in Skarslet and would give them away—but also because they needed someone to be their backup plan in case they got made.

Or captured.

The plan was simple, _yes_, but there were so many _goddamn things _that could go wrong that Madge couldn't account for them all. The worst part was that she couldn't even _think _further than this, not when he was _so close_ and she was so close to finally making sure that Justin didn't die for _nothing_. She just couldn't…think. Couldn't plan further. Because whenever she tried it was like there was this stone wall in her mind stopping her process. And the more she tried to knock it down, the taller it seemed to get.

"Dammit Madge," she hissed, her voice startling in the quietness of the dead night. Whatever happened tomorrow, it was going to be because of her, bad or good. And she hoped so much that things went good, but with her track record she doubted it.

* * *

Madge could feel her palms sweating underneath her gloves. She took them off and stuffed them in her back pockets. Why was she so nervous? She had stared down the barrel of a gun before—several times actually—without breaking a sweat so why was meeting a drunkard making her so anxious?

_Because he's the closest thing to a father you've ever had. _

The blonde scowled, ignoring the voice in her head, wiping her hands on her cargo pants before knocking on the dirty, white washed door several times. She stood back, tucking her hands behind her back and settling back on the balls of her feet, spine ramrod straight and head held high. Madge had unconsciously fallen back into the proper position of a young lady without meaning too. There was the sound of someone shuffling and a drunken yell of "Coming!"

She thought she was ready, that she had prepared herself for this moment, but when the door opened she knew that no amount of planning could've prepared her.

_He looks the same._ Was the first thought in her head. His hair was still a dirty blonde, too long, and in need of a wash or two. His eyes were Seam grey and his face was still in need of a shave. True he looked a little older, the lines around his eyes a little more pronounced, and his hair looked bit more gray than brown but he still looked the same.

Madge smiled, "Haymitch."

The older man blinked several times, like he wasn't sure if what he was seeing was real. Than all the fight seemed to seep out of his body as he sagged against the door frame. His eyes were weary as they rested on her. She could feel the weight of his gaze. "I was wondering when you were going to come and visit."

"Haymitch." Madge tried but he walked back inside without another word.

She followed him inside, "Haymitch—"

"Five years," he whispered, taking the bottle of jack off the coffee table and taking a swig.

"Haymitch—"

"FIVE FUCKING YEARS!" Haymitch yelled, throwing the bottle at the wall behind her head. Madge didn't flinch but her shoulders did tense as her eyes looked for the nearest exit. But the young woman had been on the receiving end of too many bottle smashes to ever really be scared of the sound or sight again. Or maybe she just didn't allow herself to be scared.

He turned back around to face her and Madge felt what was left of her heart break at the sight of his expression. He suddenly looked old beyond his years, his face lined with exhaustion and his eyes filled with betrayal and long buried grief. He whispered brokenly, "Five years Pearl. Five years I thought you were _dead_. For _five years_ I grieved the loss of a girl I thought of as a _daughter._"

Madge had to swallow against the sudden tightness in her throat. "Haymitch, I am so—"

"Get out," Haymitch hissed, fatigue replaced by a bright anger.

Madge took a step back, "What?"

"Didn't you hear me?" Haymitch grounded out, voice shaking—from anger or grief she couldn't tell—his dark eyes drilling into hers. "Get. Out."

"Haymitch." She had to get to stop, just for a second, so she could _explain. _Just one second, that's all she needed. "Just—"

"NOW!" He roared and Madge nodded once before turning around and _running _out the front door.

* * *

Madge wasn't sure where she was running, just that she was. Just that she had to get away from that house. From that man. From who she used to be.

She was so _stupid_, to actually think that she could ever go back to who she was. That she could just show up and expect him to welcome her back with open arms.

_I'm an idiot. _She stopped at a building and put her hand over her mouth to muffle her sobs as tears slid silently down her face. What he said _hurt_, more than she thought it would.

_Just for a few moments_, she promised herself as she let her tears run freely down her face. Just a few minutes of weakness and then she would build back up her walls, stronger and thicker than ever this time. No one was going to get past them this time. No one was going to break what was left of her already fractured heart.

She took a couple of shuddering breaths and wiped the tear tracks. Madge stood up straight and brushed off her clothes, inspecting where she was.

_I can't believe I ended up here of all places_, she thought bitterly, looking around the bombed area. It was the Town part of the old District 12 and, even though it had been five years since the bombing, no one had bothered to clean it up. She studied the charred husks of houses as she walked among them.

It was eerie how quiet it was here. The only sound was of the wind, as it chased ghosts around the corners of houses long since gone. Everything was blackened, the houses, sidewalks, even the air. And the entire place was overgrown with weeds and the sense of lost. So many Townies died that night.

It looked haunted.

_Maybe that's because it is._

If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine what it used to be like. Pretty, pretty houses filled with pretty, pretty things and people who were more useless than the things. People who hid their fear and anger behind snootiness and bright smiles. Who hid their tears behind laughter a couple pitches above too high. Who talked down to the Seam because it was all they knew, because it was all they knew _how _to do. Because they were too afraid of the Capital to not do it.

But when they were feeling particularly brave they would slip in extra money or supplies to the Seam when it was time to trade. Or throw "bad" food away in the sight of the more starving members of their tiny District.

Madge almost smiled, the Townies may have been cowards but they were probably the bravest group of cowards she had ever known. A yell broke her out of her nostalgic, bittersweet, daydream.

"Madge!" The woman turned around to see Gale of all people running to her with an almost worried look on his face.

"Gale?" Madge asked, confused. Stopping so he could catch up, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he scowled; he seemed annoyed as he ran his fingers through his thick hair. Apparently the worry was just a figment of her imagination. "I was looking for you, what are you doing here?"

Madge shrugged, "I felt like seeing my old stomping grounds."

The blonde winced, even to her ears the lie fell flat. Damn, Haymitch had gotten more to her than she thought.

_Get a grip Undersee!_

Gale thought so too as his scowl became more pronounced, even as worry flashed in his eyes. "If I'm going to be doing…crowd control for you Madge, we're going to have to be truthful with each other. Whether you like it or not."

Madge smiled a bit at his wording, liking that he was trying to comfort her in his own abrasive way. The smile quickly dropped though when she registered what he said.

Madge sighed and sat down on one of the random stoops in front of a house. Dragging her hands through her hair, she scooted over to make room for Gale.

"I went to go see Haymitch. We had an argument. It upset me. And then I left." Madge pressed her lips together and shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant but she knew it didn't look real.

"What did he say?" Gale asked after a while. She turned to look at him and studied him for a while. She noticed that his lips were chapped, his eye brows a bit thin, and there was the faintest bit of stubble on his jawline. His eyes were big and almond shaped and his fair framed his face in a way that almost looked intentional. He had high cheekbones, an amazing bone structure and eyelashes that most girls would've killed for. He couldn't quite be called handsome but he wasn't feminine enough either to be called pretty.

_Beautiful_, her mind supplied. That's what he was. Beautiful but in the boy way. All edges and rounded corners. Unlike girls who were all curves and sharp corners.

She could see why so many girls were willing to go to the Slag Heap with him.

She shook her head and stood up, holding out her hand for him. He raised both eyebrows but took it and pulled himself up. He followed her as she walked, "Where are we going?"

She tilted her head back to look at him and took his hand again. He was confused but he didn't object. "If I'm going to be telling you about Haymitch I'm going to need a drink or two."

He nodded and pulled on her hand, so he could walk a little closer to her.

She didn't object.

**DONE! I know this took a while and I'm SOOO sorry but midterms are a bitch. But like I said before, I'm NOT giving up on this story. I hope you liked this chapter, I personally liked the ending more but ehhh whatevs. If you guys are confused about anything in my story feel free to ask. Anyway in the next chapter instead of just a "talk" like a couple of chapters ago we are going to have a real heart-to-heart between the two. So look forward to that!**

**Review!**


	13. Chapter 13: Heart-to-Heart Part I

Vendetta

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

* * *

Chapter 13: Heart-to-heart Part I

Gale led her to a bar on the outskirts of the Hub; it was still midday so the bar was relatively empty, except for a couple of noon drinkers and the bartender. Madge went to the bathroom, while Gale went up to the bar.

"Gale! What are you doing here buddy?" Mikel—the owner and bartender—smiled. Mikel was a solidly built man in his late thirties with hair as thick as it had been ten years ago, and eyebrows that were even thicker.

"Here to get a drink, what else?" Gale smiled back, leaning against the bar. "Can I get two beers?"

Mikel raised a thick eyebrow, "Two beers?"

"Yeah, uh, I'm here with someone." Both of his eyebrows went up.

"And who exactly is this someone? Because if this someone is the Mockingjay—"

"She's not the Mockingjay," Gale cut him off before he could finish the accusation.

His thick eyebrows lowered but now his eyes glittered mischievously, "But it is a she?"

Gale rolled his eyes, "Yes, she's a she."

Before Mikel could say more, Madge came over. "I'm going to be at the booth in the back when you're done flirting."

Gale just glared at her while she walked away, when he turned back to Mikel, the bartender was staring at him like he was crazy.

"You're here with _Madge Undersee_?"

"Yeah, so?" Gale grumbled, not liking how Mikel had said it.

"Let me rephrase, you're here on a _date_—"

"It's not a date," Gale said tried to say but the bartender just continued.

"—With _Madge Undersee_, of all people."

Gale's grey eyes narrowed, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing man. I mean," Mikel glanced over at the girl in the back. From this angle they could only make out her profile, but the skintight jeans and formfitting, dark blue turtleneck she wore made up for that. Mikel whistled, "Undersee grew _up _but it doesn't change the fact that you used to hate the girl."

A frown settled deeply on his face, "I never hated her."

The older man rolled his eyes, "Okay, so hate isn't the right word but you didn't exactly like her either."

"I never hated her, Mikel. I just…didn't like what she stood for." Gale defended feebly.

Mikel snorted, starting to wipe down the bar. "Trust me, I know. Everyone knew. You complained about Undersee more than any other Townie besides Peeta. If I didn't know better I would've thought you had a thing for her."

"Can I just have my beers?" Gale asked irately.

"Fine," Mikel reached under the bar, pulled out two beers and opened them. Gale grabbed them and walked over to Madge without another word to him.

"Here," he slid the beer towards her. He pulled his drink to lips but stopped, "You're not going to drink it?"

Madge just continued staring at the beer bottle in her hand. Gale put the bottle down, "Madge?"

The blonde looked up, "Oh. Sorry."

She looked back down, watching the condensation slide down the glass.

"It's fine." Gale hesitated, what should he say? What _could _he say? It was true he didn't know much about Madge but he knew Haymitch. In District 13 and after the war, more often than not, the guy was usually drunk—though in the underground District it was usually sleep deprivation that got him—and he would talk to anything that moved. And from what Gale could gather from his drunken ramblings, slurred words, and half formed sentences, it was mostly about some woman named Maysilee and Madge. It was usually about Madge though. How she had died too soon, how he should've been there, how he should've been the one to burn in the bombing and not her.

The guy had massive survivor's guilt that much was obvious to him.

Gale never got why though.

So Gale decided to do someone that he would probably regret later, he dived in head first. "Tell me about Haymitch."

Madge looked up and blinked, she furrowed her brows, "What?"

Gale pushed forward, "Tell me about Haymitch. Why do you care so much about him? Why do you—why does he…affect you so much?"

Gale paused and said more quietly, "What does he mean to you?"

Madge leaned forward, opened her mouth and closed it. Opened it again but all that came out was a sad, little laugh. She ran her fingers through her hair, laughing again. The one that sounded partly like a sigh.

"He's—"she stopped again and sighed, pressing her lips tightly together until it was a thin, white line. She looked at him and Gale was struck by the little chinks and cracks in her typically impenetrable armor. It was a sight that both fascinated him but also deeply disturbed him. It was something that he had never seen before.

Madge couldn't quite get it out, so she tried a different approach. She grabbed the bottle and downed half of it before she spoke again. "My dad spent 20 hours a day in his office, seven days week. The only times he wasn't there was, either because he wanted to sleep in a real bed for once, or it was Reaping Day. He didn't want to go back to the house, and…_I don't blame him_. Because I _got it_, I never wanted to spend time at the house either unless I had too."

Gale listened carefully, filing away everything she said but his mind stuck on the fact that not once, had she called her house a home.

"Why didn't you guys like going back home?"

Madge shook her head, "Because it wasn't a _home_ Gale. It was a house, it was where we slept, where we ate, where we existed but we didn't live there."

"Besides," Madge leaned back in her chair and smirked. "It's not like that house belonged to us anyway."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm _talking_," Madge spat, fury in every line of her body all of sudden. It was like a switch had been flipped, where before she had looked lonely and vulnerable now she was angry. Her usually ice like eyes were heated like two hot gems. One a dark, burning sapphire, and the other a crackling, obscure jade. Her breathing came out ragged and her voice heavy with malice, "About the fact that _everything _in that house, the furniture, the appliances, the decorations, the paintings, down to the _goddamn floorboards_, even the _people_ in that house belonged to the Capital."

Madge stopped the sudden flow of her voice, mashing her lips together like she was trying to stop the sudden torrent of words and anger and emotions.

Madge put her hands on either sides of her face, panting, trying to get herself under control. She felt like she was going to _explode_, all these feelings, everything that she had pushed down and shoved away since she was seven, was starting to well up. Trying to push its way to the surface, to get out.

"You okay?" Madge vaguely heard Gale over the roar in her ears.

_Breathe Madge. _

_Breathe._

_Breathe._

Madge looked up, pushing her hair back with both hands. She panted, "I'm fine. I'm fine. I just…lots of emotions that's all."

"Look, Madge if you don't wanna do this right now, we can always do this la—"

"No!" Madge yelled. She looked up and gripped the edge of the table so hard, her knuckles turned bleach white. "If I don't…if I don't tell you now, I-I'll never tell you. Just…let me finish okay?"

Gale looked at her and saw that pleading look in her eyes. She _needed _to get this out, "Okay. Just let get me go get something real quick."

Madge nodded mutely.

Gale hesitated, suddenly finding an impulse to reach over and…what? Touch her? Comfort her? Before he decided to act on the crazy notion, Gale got up and walked to the bar. He looked around to see if Mikel was in his office. When the young man saw that he was, Gale hopped over the counter and to the other side. He scanned the selection of liquor quickly before grabbing the little less, than full bottle of whiskey and two clean glasses. He jumped over the counter again and walked back over to Madge.

The woman looked considerably better, her breathing was under control again and her body language didn't seem quite as caged anymore. Gale noticed that her hair was plaited over her right shoulder.

He stood behind his seat, the bottle in one hand and the glasses in the other, both of his eyebrows raised, "Nice braid."

The blonde gave a halfhearted smile that was more of quick quirk of her lips than anything else. "Helps me keep my hands busy."

He looked down at her hands, the right was drumming on the table and the left was messing with the end of her braid. For a moment he was transfixed by the gloved hand. Her nimble, naked, fingers twisting and untwisting the stray strands around her pointer and middle finger, while the tips of finger nails, from time to time, lightly touched her smooth, delicate throat. Unbidden, an image to his head, the pretty, fragile throat and collar bone bared as she tilted her head back as he bent down and—

"Hey," he said a little louder than he probably should have. Madge jerked a little in surprise.

"Yes?"

"Let's go back to my place," Gale said, thinking quickly before realizing what it sounded like. He quickly backtracked, "Not-not like that. Just…thought you would prefer to talk somewhere more…private."

Madge just stared at him for a while before shrugging, "Sure."

She looked away as she got up but not before he caught the quick glance of gratitude in her jeweled eyes.

* * *

She didn't look at him the entire way to his apartment. She kept her eyes straight ahead and hood on, casting her face in shadows. She only looked at him once during the entire journey when they crossed by their old school. It was nothing more than a quick glance and if he hadn't been looking at her the entire time he would've missed it. He saw something in her eyes though, confusion and…and something else.

Something that made his stomach twist in a way he wasn't sure if it was pleasant or not.

He opened the door for her and she murmured a quiet thank you, they didn't talk again until they were in his apartment.

"So, uh," Gale cleared his throat, not sure what to do next. "Make yourself at home. I'll put on a movie or something."

She gave him a lopsided smile, "Okay."

Madge took the bottle out of his hand, along with the glasses, and moved over to the off white couch. She opened the bottle and poured the whiskey into each glass until it was almost over flowing. She then grabbed one, raised it to him, and down the entire thing in one gulp.

"Was that necessary?" Gale asked, inserting the DVD in.

"Yes," the blonde answered, relishing the warm, numbing feeling that was starting to spread over her body. She usually _hated _alcohol—hated drugs of any kind—but she would make an exception just this once. Madge patted the spot next to her, sliding the hood off her head, "Come sit next to me."

The young man pressed play before sitting down next to her. He was absolutely rigid, arm and legs practically tucked under him and his back straight as a board.

"Will you _relax_?" Madge smiled teasingly at him, an almost laugh escaping past her lips. Gale could only stare at her, in this moment, with her hair down, her body relaxed, her guard lowered, her pink lips stretched into a smile, and gleam in her unique eyes she looked…beautiful.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

Gale shook his head—more to himself than her—and he grabbed the shot glass and downed it.

"Feel better?" Madge asked, leaning back.

He nodded, feeling the alcohol burn down his throat, "Much."

Gale turned to look at her, gray eyes stormy and intense, "What were you saying? Before?"

Madge sighed, leaning forward to fill up the glasses again. "Which part?"

He thought about it, which part would she need to get out more?

"About your father and Haymitch."

"Right," she tilted her head back. "Well, where do I start?"

"Start with your dad, why didn't going home?" Gale prompted.

"You want to know the truth? The honest truth?" Gale nodded mutely. "My dad didn't want to go home because of my mom. I mean don't get me wrong, he loved her and…and that was sort of the problem."

Gale frowned, confused, but didn't interrupt her.

"When my aunt, Maysilee, died in the Hunger Games, my mom sort of…you know how Katniss' mom got sick after her father died?"

Gale nodded again.

"Well, there's term for it. It's called depression and it's not a disease that's purely physical, it's mental too. It's…it's something that _locks_ itself in you. It makes you think _awful_, _horrible _things that aren't even remotely true."

"Like?" Gale asked without thinking and he regretted it immediately when her jaw clenched and her eyes became pained.

"Like it makes you you're a burden to everyone around you, that you're worthless, that the world would be better off without you—"

"I get it," Gale cut her off, not wanting to think of what Katniss and Madge's families would've gone through.

"Do you?" Madge asked, staring at him.

"I get enough of it."

Madge nodded and continued her story. "Well depression isn't something you can cure with a pill or an injection but it's not something you can snap out of it either. You need to work at it but you need motivation to do it and some people would rather escape it than try. My mother was one of those people."

Madge stopped, took a deep breath, and Gale realized they were getting to the hard part. His hands shook as he moved it to cover hers, she looked up in surprise but didn't move.

Gale nodded at her, it said, _You're okay._

She smiled at him, _Thank you_.

Her smile faded as she started talking again, her fingers playing with his. Gale wasn't sure if she noticed or not though (you never know with Madge), "My mom was in pain _all the time_ and my dad _hated _seeing her like that. So he asked the Capital for help, they gave him morphline to help my mother with her depression. And it worked, for a little while. That was around the same time my parents conceived me but after I was born my fell back in. We tried to get her off a couple times but she always ended up having these awful headaches and we eventually realized…"

"Your mom was a morphling, she was an addict," Gale finished for her when she trailed off.

Madge nodded, closing her eyes, "Yeah. The Capital knew this and they used this to their advantage, made him their little spy and everything. All because he loved my mother too much and hated to see her in pain."

Madge chuckled, "Or maybe I should've said they planned it."

And what could Gale say to that?

* * *

**Cutting it off right here since it got to long but the next chapter should be up soon. Sorry for the wait but this chapter sort of ended up getting away from me. And I know that Gale's a bit out of character but you have to realize he's a bit off balance by this whole thing, he's not used to hanging out with Madge.**

**REVIEW!**


	14. Chapter 14: Heart-to-Heart II

Vendetta

_Peeta gave a half chuckle, "And you look tired Madge...you try to hide it beneath ice and stone but I can see it. You look tired, Madge, so fucking tired." –Peeta Mellark._

* * *

Chapter 14: Heart-to-Heart II

"What are you talking about?" Gale asked, mind reeling from what she just said.

"How do you think my father became mayor, Gale? He didn't exactly have the political prowess for it, and nobody elected him for it. They picked someone in District 12 who could be manipulated to work their little plans. And my father was the perfect target," Madge shrugged, seemingly nonchalant but her eyes burned. "So in love with his wife, he would be willing to do anything for her. It would be romantic if it hadn't ruined so many people's lives.

"And that," Madge said, drinking from the bottle directly now. "brings me back to Haymitch. So you know the Hunger Games my aunt died in?" Madge didn't bother waiting for his nod; she just took another sip of the whiskey. Gale wasn't drunk yet—tipsy but not drunk, not yet anyway—but Madge was quickly on her way to drunk. "Well Haymitch was in that one and…I guess he feels like it's his fault my aunt died. Like…they were allies or something? I don't know, that game never got aired."

Gale knew about that game and not just because of the rumors around District 12 but because Katniss had told him about it once. A couple of years ago, back when he still thought he had a shot and Peeta wasn't in the picture for sure. He grabbed the whiskey bottle from her hand and drank it, before giving it back. He was not going to be thinking about Katniss and Peeta sober. Or the Hunger Games. Actually, he just wasn't going to be sober today period.

Madge stared at him and cocked her head slightly, usually she was hard to read but the alcohol had lowered her guard. Made her edges a little smoother, easier to read. And right now she was curious and she looked at him shrewdly, like she knew what he had thinking about.

He clenched his jaw and stared back, he wasn't talking about this with her. She nodded like she understood and started talking again. Only, she let him hold the bottle now. Madge set her hands primly in her lap—_Prim,_ his half-drunk mind thought mournfully—her feet tucked under her and crossed at the ankle. If she had wearing a sundress instead of an oversized hoodie and jeans, she might've looked like the Mayor's Daughter again.

"So after the 50th Hunger Games he apparently starts going over to check on my mother monthly, than when he heard she was pregnant, weekly, and when I was born, daily. Especially when he figured out my parents weren't in any shape to raise a baby." She shrugged, breaking her spic and span posture. Madge picked at her nails, staring at them. He did too, they were blunt, short, and indelicate. It didn't fit his image of the Mayor's Daughter but he was quickly learning nothing about Madge fit into any of the boxes he had filed her into long ago. "Most people think that my parents raised me but that's not true, Haymitch did. He's the one that came over every single day and made sure I did my classwork, made sure I was practicing on the piano, made sure that I got enough sleep, enough to eat…everything a parent is supposed to do for their kid."

"He's your father," Gale said quietly, finally understanding.

She smiled sadly, nothing more than small upturn of her lips but her eyes were liquid soft. "In everything but blood."

She licked her lips and her fingers twitched like she wanted the bottle but she didn't allow herself to reach for it. Gale was too fascinated by the minute expressions on her face to act. Gale had always been good at reading people—it was one of the reasons he was promoted so quickly—and he had always liked to figure things out, how to take something apart and put it back together. And nothing fascinated him more than a challenge. Katniss had a been a challenge once she hit puberty—one of the reasons he had fallen for her in the first place—because suddenly she was Katnip but she was also Kat_niss _and it was weird and confusing but he _liked it_. _A lot_.

Outside of hunting he had no idea what went through her head half the time. And it was the same with Madge but it was also different because he wasn't as close to her—truth be told, he never spent more than 10 minutes in her presence back than if he could help it—and the more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to peel back the layers, to rip off the mask and see who was underneath all of it. If she was hard ice like in his memories or liquid soft like right now.

"I'm sorry," Gale said, not sure what else he could say.

Madge shrugged, "Not your fault."

"I never really had a father figure after my dad died," Gale said out of nowhere. "Because when he died, I was forced to grow up. Be…" Gale struggled for the words; he had never spoken about this to anyone. He wondered if it was the alcohol or the look in her eyes, like how he imagined sleeping in water would be like when he was younger. Soft, cool and comforting. "…the new dad to my little brother and sister."

"That must've been hard." All pretenses of watching the movie gone, Madge's full attention was on him. It was a little unnerving, how intense her eyes were and having all that focus on him. He liked it if he was truthful with himself (but then he rarely ever was).

"That's why I didn't like you. Well, it's not that I didn't like you—which I didn't by the way—more like jealous of what you had. You had clean clothes, a warm bed and you never had to worry about starving to death." He nodded and took a long gulp, "Yeah but it honestly wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. Sure, the first couple of months were pretty bad but with the extra tessla from the reapings, and my catches…we weren't rich but we had enough that no one starved to death. It got better when Katniss came along though, we had to divide the catches but we got more together than we could ever catch by ourselves. Not to mention everyone was a sucker for Katniss's big eyes."

Madge chuckled, "Yeah, that I can believe. She really doesn't know, does she? What she does to people?"

Gale scoffed and shook his head, feeling a little woozy, "Even after these years. Even after being named Most Beautiful Woman in Panema three years in a row she still doesn't believe it."

Madge took the almost empty bottle and raised it, "Knowing her she probably thinks it's just the hype of being the Mockingjay. Here's to you Katniss, and your ridiculous modesty."

"You are so drunk," Gale laughed.

Madge shrugged, taking another big gulp, "And you're not?"

"Yeah but I can hold my liquor better than you," Gale pointed out, making grabby hands for the bottle in her hand.

"Probably true, I don't drink all that much," she mocked pouted and turned the bottle upside down, they were out of whiskey.

"You drank it all!" Gale accused, the alcohol in his body finally making itself known.

"You helped!"

"Yeah but you drank like all it, I only had three sips!" He laughed.

"So what if I did?" Madge asked, leaning towards him. Gale growled and lunged at her, Madge yelped and twisted as soon as he was on her. They both tumbled to the ground with her on top, laughing.

They stared at each other as their breathing evened out.

"Hi," Madge grinned from on top of him, hair coming loose from the fall.

"Hi," he said back, breathless.

Madge smirked and leaned close, chin just hovering above his, "You're gonna pay for the bottle right? Cause I don't have any money, like, at all."

He snapped his teeth playfully at her and smiled at the laughter that rang out of her throat. He tugged her hair to get her attention, than he kissed her.

At first she didn't move—too surprised—but when the shock (and slight novelty of it) wore off, she deepened it. Their mouths moved against each other, teeth grinding and tongues slipping against one another, while their hands wandered each other's bodies. Her hands pulled his shirt over his head while he unbuttoned her shirt quickly. Her hand wandered down past his naval, to his jeans, her hand slipped inside. She laughed breathily when he bucked against her hand. She kept stroking him from on top his boxers, dragging her teeth down his throat.

"Madge," he moaned, planting little kisses on her neck. His hand moved to slide her shirt off her shoulders, and she sat up, hand on his chest to stop him.

"Wait. Wait. Stop Gale," she said, chest heaving.

"What? Why?" His grey eyes were glazed over and his lips were red, with matching spots up and down his neck and shoulders.

"I—"she couldn't tell him it was because she didn't want him to see the scars. That she didn't want him to look at her like she was a monster. Or worse, like a victim. "We're drunk and I don't want us to regret anything tomorrow morning."

He smirked, "I'm not going to regret this."

When he tried to kiss her again, she stood up, moving away from him and buttoning up her shirt before he could see the tiny scars peeking out from her tank top. "You don't know that, you're drunk."

"Madge," he stood up, his bare torso a little more than distracting. While Peeta's was all muscle and hard lines—don't ask how she knew, it was better for everyone—Gale was lean and slim. Built like a swimmer or runner rather than a warrior like Peeta (and Peeta was warrior in the worst sense of the word). There was thin line of hair leading down and disappearing into his jeans. Heat curled deep in her gut, reminding her it had been a while since she got laid.

Madge quickly forced her eyes up from the rather significant bulge in his pants.

"I'm not going to regret this, trust me. I'm not that drunk," he grinned at her, hands up and moving slowly towards her. There was something distinctly predatory about his movement—she wasn't sure whether he did it consciously or not, or if it was just a figment of her imagination—but she didn't like it. She didn't like feeling like prey. Feeling tiny and trapped and helpless. Later, she would blame it on the alcohol but it was fear and thoughtlessness that made her say the words.

"No but I might," she said harshly, regretting it as soon as it came out of her mouth. The effect was almost instantaneous. If he wasn't drunk, she might not have seen the transformation at all but the whiskey dulled his reflexes. And regret made time slow down and sear each expression into her brain.

First, was the shock that she had actually said something like that.

Second, the disbelief, she could practically see his mind working, _Did she really say that?_

Next was the hurt—and that wounded her the most—rejection hurt on the best of days. It cut even worse when you were half naked and had just all but bared your soul.

Than, the anger—that was something she was used too from him—and that was something she could handle.

And last was just…blank. His grey eyes had lost that—lusty—glazed look and had turned stormy and cold, like a hail storm, conflicted but ultimately unreadable because of the sheer amount of emotion contained in them. The flare of his nostrils and tightening of his mouth was the only indication of his anger.

"Well than why didn't you say that?" He smiled at her, teeth just barely peeking out from behind pinked lips. It was a good mask but even if she hadn't spent most her childhood observing everyone in town—learning their tells, their styles, their game—it still wouldn't have fooled her. You can't out fake the master. "I trust you can show yourself out?"

He phrased it like a question. It wasn't.

"Gale I'm—" Madge stopped herself. What could she say?

_I'm sorry._

_I didn't mean it._

_It was just a joke._

It would've been lies, and she couldn't say what she wanted to. _I'm scared Gale, scared that someone's going to come in and tear down my walls, let me care about them, than something's going to rip them away from me. Scared that, that person is going to be you. Scared that, if I let myself, I could fall for you because you're everything that I'm not. Honorable, truthful, trustworthy, and clean. _

_I'm scared that if I let you in, your love for Katniss will break everybody's heart. Scared that if I let you see me, you'll see my scars and see me as nothing more than a Capital Prisoner. _

She didn't say any of that, instead she said. "Okay."

"You know," his voice was tight, emotions just bubbling underneath the surface. "I thought you had the perfect life. Never thought in some ways I would actually be richer than you."

And there was something about the way he had said it, calm but almost mocking but it was the way he held himself that pushed her over the edge. His posture was stand-offish and his chin was tilted up, eyes defiant and derisive. He knew exactly what he was saying, knew the impact it would have on her.

Madge never took being cornered very well.

"You want to know the reason why Katniss won't love you the way you want her to? Why she didn't you choose you? Why she chose Peeta over you?" She didn't let him answer, just barreled forward, holding his grey gaze. For the second time that night—for the first time in forever—she turned off her filter, let herself vomit up words and say what was on her mind. Instead of restraining it, instead of carefully selecting each and every word to manipulate them. Madge didn't care about manipulation, she just wanted to help him—wanted to hurt him, it was the same thing really—so she let herself just _talk. _"It's because you two are too fucking familiar. Because you would've been happy and she would've miserable, or she would've ended up happy and you would've ended up miserable. Either way, everyone would've ended up miserable and you two would end up hating each other. Because if she chose you, she would've never been able to get over the war, get over what the Capital did to her.

"Because if she chose you, in the back of her mind all she would be able to think about is _Prim_. How she died, how it was _your_ bombs that killed her, how it was _your_ hands that flipped the switch, how you should've been looking after _Prim_ instead of looking at your _inventions_. Her choosing to just be your friend was the better choice—the _only _choice—if she wanted heal _and _keep you in her life." Madge took a deep breath and drove the blade in deeper. "You better get the _fuck _over her Gale, because you don't have a chance."

She pitched her voice low, "You never did."

And Madge left the room like that. A bottle of whiskey empty on the floor, a movie that no one was paying attention too, and a Seam boy whose sudden coldness had nothing to do with his state of undress.

* * *

Madge opened the motel door and walked into the living room with excuses and lies on the tip of her tongue. She didn't get to use them. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

He grinned at her, while teeth flashing against brown skin. "Good to see you too, Darling."

* * *

**Sorry this came out so late, end of the year was busier than I expected. Anyways I've decided to split this story into a two. I was originally going to just put it all in one story but I decided that would just be weird (and a bit messy), so this story is almost done. Only needs about, maybe, 5-10 chapters left? Probably less though. **

**So who do you guys think this new character will serve as? Hint: He'll be sticking around for the rest of this story and a little bit of the sequel.**

**This is probably my most intense chapter yet (at least I think it is) and the sexy time was very…boring. I'm not used to writing sex scenes though so…yeah. **

**REVIEW!**


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